Generation X
by Fractal-Velocity
Summary: Elsa is a troubled teen, recently let out of rehab, and still struggling to control the wild magic within her. Caught in a crossfire between mutants and magical beings, Elsa must learn to adapt quickly to her new surroundings- or risk her friends and new-found family. What will happen when two worlds collide? And where does Elsa truly belong?
1. Chapter 1

**Day One**

_Knock, knock._

'Elsa?'

*pause*

'I know you're in there.'

'Just give me a minute, would you?' Elsa called from the bathroom, rolling her eyes at the reflective surface of the mirror.

_Sweet Snowflakes, this girl is so impatient_, she thought to herself, lazily twirling a strand of pale blond hair between two fingers.

'It's kinda late,' she heard Anna say from the other side of the door.

'I'll only take a second,' she replied, leaning in towards the mirror to inspect her teeth.

'Elsaaa!'

'Honestly woman, stop whining,' the blond groaned, tugging her hair in to a haphazard braid and rubbing some of the extra gloss off her lips.

'ICAN'THOLDITIN,' was the rushed reply.

Sighing dramatically, Elsa slipped a bang of hair that had loosened behind her ear and yanked open the bathroom door.

'Finallyyy!' Anna squealed, rushing past her sister in a blur of movement; ginger hair whacking the other full in the face.

'Careful!' Elsa nearly shrieked. 'Beauty this perfect doesn't happen on its own!'

Anna smirked. 'I'm sorry Your Highness,' she said humbly. 'Now may I suggest you take your leave? I really need to pee.'

Laughing sardonically the elder girl shut the door as she left and headed straight for the kitchens.

Warm smells of baking wafted across the endless corridors, attacking her senses and leaving her salivating with hunger. Last night's dinner had been more than satisfying, but the smells of today morning promised so much more. Elsa followed her nose down into the kitchens, where she found a very angry Gerda bustling around- her gown and apron were covered almost completely in flour. She was mumbling crossly, her usually welcoming features drawn into a frown. There was only one person in the castle who could make poor old Gerda this irritable.

'Fancy seeing you here Kristoff,' Elsa said jovially, entering the kitchens and promptly stealing two warm buns from a nearby basket.

Gerda didn't miss this of course and snatched them back before she could hide them away. She waddled off towards the ovens, mumbling to herself about the '_atrocity of children these days'_.

Elsa shook her head at her antics and smiled at Kristoff who'd just appeared by her side.

'Hi Els,' he grinned. 'I was in the neighborhood.. just thought I'd pop in and say hello.'

'And do some baking?' she smirked, playfully punching his shoulder.

'Yeah um… yeah,' Kristoff mumbled lamely, ruffling his overgrown mop of blond hair with a large square shaped hand.

He reminded Elsa of Wreck-it-Ralph from that animated movie.

He shot her a curious glance and held my eyes for a few seconds before looking away.

'I –uh- I didn't know you were…. back from… from _there_,' he half-whispered, half-muttered.

The other sucked in a sharp breath.

'Yeah.'

There was an uncomfortable pause.

'I'm baack!' she said, injecting her voice with false enthusiasm. 'Yay.'

She even added a little fist-pump.

Kristoff jumped to help clear the air of the awkwardness that had started to settle.

'That's great welcome back we missed you how are you wow you've grown so tall.'

His sentences jumbled into one long string of senseless words as he wrapped the blond in his arms and hugged me so tight she nearly ruptured her spleen.

'Kristoff is that you?' a voice floated down to the kitchen.

The large blond immediately let go of Elsa's wiry frame and raced out in search of his favorite redhead.

Elsa stumbled, trying to catch her breath as the claustrophobia clouded her mind, constricting her airways. It wasn't Kristoff's bear-hug that had her wheezing as she stumbled to her room- it was the memories.

Squeezing her eyes shut she tried her utmost to think of anything but_ that_. Gosh, she'd tried so hard, so _damn hard_ to pretend like it hadn't happened, but she was a fool for thinking all her problems would just disappear if she pretended they didn't exist. Tears crept through her lashes and stained her pale cheeks as she made a wild dash for her bedroom. _Hide, I need to hide_, she thought frantically.

Not this again, a little part of her brain sighed. Elsa was tired. Tired of running away from all of this- from the people she loved, from her life… from herself. But there was nothing else she could do. She was a monster.

Sobs threatened to wrack her body as she raced for her bedroom door. She could hear joyful voices echoing around the corner of the hallway.

She made it to her room and slipped in just in time to see Anna and Kristoff appear at the other end of the corridor.

'Elsa-,' she cut Anna off with a slam of the door, unwilling to see the worrisome look on her face or the traces of pity in her large doe-eyes.

Snorting, Elsa kicked harshly at her bedpost and the entire frame rattled. She didn't need their pity; especially not hers. She didn't know her. She was just her sister- someone Elsa was related to by blood. It didn't mean anything.

She didn't need her pity.

She didn't need ANYONE.

Tears flowed freely from her face, distorting the mascara she had so painstakingly put on not even an hour ago.

She heard Anna and her lumberjack-of-a-boyfriend stop by her door, their shadows pacing nervously as they whispered about her predicament.

Anna knocked on the door gently- her trademark four-knock tap.

After a few minutes of tense silence from Elsa's part, they left. The blond let out a sigh she didn't even know she had held and let herself relax slightly. Before she knew it there was a whooshing sensation in her fingertips and a sharp tug in her chest. Tendrils of ice lashed out at the floor and spread themselves across the walls at breakneck speed. More tendrils of a similar kind emanated from where her feet touched the carpet and froze the floor of her room in an instant. Seconds later the temperature had dropped and tiny flecks of snow were twisting about lazily in the air inside the room. Despair clawed at her heart as another sob wracked her frail body, causing her knees to give way. She fell gracelessly to the now icy floor and crushed the heels of her hands to her eyes to stem the tears. _I can't crumble. I can't._

_Conceal.. don't feel. _

_Conceal. Don't –_ what was it?

Elsa roared inwardly in anguish as she sobbed tearlessly into the palms of her hands. How could she have forgotten? It was father's mantra.

She choked out a few more silent cries until her throat was so sore it felt like she had inhaled a handful of snow.

She couldn't keep doing this. She couldn't break down every time she felt insecure. Father would never have tolerated it.

But oh how it felt so much easier. Problems felt THAT much less troublesome when you didn't have to face them.

So, allowing her shoulders to sag in defeat, Elsa gave in to her despair and crawled back into her ice cold bed.

And without bothering to thaw the room, she proceeded to let sleep delude her into thinking her problems were all gone.

Sure she was tired physically, but even mentally she needed a break. Her mind had been so caught up with everything lately, it felt good to push it all away and just… sleep.

She stayed this way for the rest of the day, ignoring breakfast, lunch and eventually dinner as well.

'Where IS she?!' Anna cried, slamming the end of her fork on the table with as much ferocity she could muster.

Kristoff choked on his soup and clapped himself on the chest a few times to help regain his breath.

'Anna calm down,' he said once he was finished coughing his life away. 'Your sister is a big girl she can handle herself.'

The redhead eyed the empty seat at the dinner table warily. She frowned at it, almost half-wishing that a certain pale blond would appear in its chair. Alas her efforts were in vain.

'Anna,' Kristoff tried again, pleadingly. 'Let Elsa be.'

His girlfriend's stormy eyes turned on him, flashing an angry shade of green.

'She's my sister I can't just ignore her existence just because she does it to me,' she snapped wildly. 'She can't go on like this.'

Kristoff hung his head in defeat.

'Maybe she needs someone to talk to!' Anna said perkily, flying from the table in a flurry.

But before she reached the stairs a strong arm caught her waist and brought he body sharply against another.

'Kristoff please,' she groaned. 'Let me go to her.'

'You know Els would have already called for you if she wanted any company,' the blond reasoned, stroking her shoulder.

'But, but, but… I'll just knock-,' Anna tried, still struggling against his hold.

'You know she wouldn't like it,' Kristoff warned,

'Let go now or I'll throw you out of the house!'

'And I'll stay outside till you let me back in,' he teased, nibbling on her ear.

Sighing, Anna twisted herself in his embrace and returned the hug. 'What do I do about her?' she mused out loud.

Kristoff could only hug back, knowing deep down that he could never come up for an answer for her question.

a/n: heeeyyy :P so this is my first serious fanfic. i got my inspiration from a How It Should Have Ended video on YouTube... you guys should check it out. I'd really like it if you guys would leave some reviews :3 it'll help me so so much i'll love you for ever. just a heads up but Elsa and Anna miiight get a little OC but it had to happen cause they're in the modern world now so they cant exactly be as naive as they usually are.

soo that's it.. read and review pleaase :P and i'll put up the next chapter :3


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: i do not own any of the characters in this story. every single character either belongs to Disney or Marvel. i only own this plot.. i think. lots of people might've come up with this crossover already so i'm scared to say anything rash :P heehee.. **

**happy reading**

**(Just realized i didn't have a disclaimer in the first chapter so... i felt bad :P)**

* * *

**Day Two**

Sunlight streamed in through the cracks in her blinds, illuminating the room and reflecting off the enchanted sleets of ice coating the floor. Light danced everywhere, lighting the room's only occupant. She groaned in her sleep and tossed unconsciously under the sheets. Mumbling incoherently to herself, she waved her fingers at the room in general and instantly the ice thawed. The temperature returned back to normal and the tendrils of ice staining her walls disappeared, leaving not a trace of evidence of their existence behind. Sleep eventually released the young girl from its hold and she found herself waking up to the sounds of unpleasant yelling.

Groaning once again she pulled the sheets over her head in order to muffle the noise. Anna was at it again- she remembered the yelling that took place between Gerda and her sister from before she'd left for… that place. They'd shout for hours on end about Anna's schooling, their parent's death, Elsa's own attitude and her predicament as well. She usually avoided them until they'd calmed down considerably, but the rumbling in her stomach forced her to drag herself from bed and down the stairs in search of a satisfying meal. After all, she had skipped all three meals yesterday- it was a wonder she was still able to walk. The shouting became clearer the closer the got to the kitchen. It seemed as if Gerda was admonishing Anna over something and the redhead was just tossing around crass replies.

Elsa winced as she entered the kitchen and took in the sight. Anna was seated on the large island in the center of the room, legs swinging daintily as she crunched into a shiny apple, while Gerda busied herself around the kitchen, attending to the many dishes cooking at every stove.

'-I just wouldn't mind if you decide to take up a few RESPONSIBILITIES around here,' Gerda was saying. 'Just a few mind you! I'm not asking for much, just a little help for the old lady. But NO- you had to go and bring home that useless boy from god knows where!'

Anna suddenly turned a furious red and nearly spat out the mouthful of apple she'd been crunching. 'He's NOT useless you crazy old woman!' she screamed. 'Stop ruining my life and just die!'

Fuming, she hopped off the table and, in an effort to make a dramatic exit, ran straight into Elsa.

'Oh you,' Anna mumbled, her eyes brightening with joy before quickly dimming with recollection of the rejection she'd suffered yesterday. 'Glad to see you're alive,' she mumbled before brushing past rudely.

'Anna, apologize to Gerda,' Elsa said calmly.

The other girl sneered. 'And since when did you decide to take up YOUR responsibilities dear Elsa?'

Gerda voiced her disapproval. 'Must you two quarrel so? Its unbecoming of women to act in such ways.'

'Oh please old lady, just shut your trap and cook,' Anna snapped.

'ANNA,' Elsa stuttered in shock.

'I'm tired of the two of you!' the ginger haired girl said firmly. 'I'm going over to Merida's for a while to actual ENJOY my holidays for once. I don't care what you two do; just keep away from my room.'

'Anna, don't be like this, come back here and say sorry to Gerda,' Elsa frowned.

'And if I refuse?' the other asked sarcastically. 'What are you gonna do then?' '

Anna, don't be so hard,' Elsa groaned, rubbing her temples. 'I'm trying to make this work-,' '

HARD?!' Anna interrupted. 'I'M being hard? This isn't what hard is. Hard is living half my life away from my favorite- and only- sibling. Hard is going through Mom and Dad's funeral all alone. Hard is watching you break apart, watching those medicines ruin you and knowing that there's nothing I could do to save you. Hard is living in this house by myself and going through life PRETENDING that everything is okay. Hard is lying to Kristoff and smiling on dates so that he wouldn't have to share my misery. Hard is ROTTING away here while you were slacking off in loony town with your crazy friends!'

Elsa's jaw went slack.

'I- I didn't mean that last bit!' Anna tried in vain to backtrack.

The cold steel set into her older sister's otherwise clear blue eyes.

'I'm- not- crazy.'

The words were forced, almost choked out into the tense air.

'I know, I know,' Anna tried frantically to pull her sister away from the edge of her oncoming emotional collapse. 'I'm sorry I take it all back, it was a mistake. Elsa, please don't go!'

The pale blond whirled around and whispered something about needing to take a walk, before fleeing from the house and into the street.

She hopped onto the sidewalk to avoid a postal van and, taking deep breaths, slowed down to a brisk walk. She clenched her jaw and dared her tears to crawl out from between her lashes. Clutching her turquoise cardigan around her torso, Elsa wandered around the neighborhood aimlessly. Each step she took she aimed to step on a fallen leaf, making it crunch beneath her.

It was nearing the end of autumn- the sky was turning dark and heavy and the trees rattled against the wind. Heaps of tawny leaves had long since settled upon the ground, rustling as the autumn air whistled past in every direction. Her hair caught the wind and whipped around her face, creating a strange whitish halo around her forehead. The strands of hair that lashed her face left the skin pink and soon her cheeks were an astonishing shade of red that nearly matched the crumpled leaves on the floor beside her feet.

Sighing, Elsa sat on the edge of a curb, and fiddled with the laces on her boots. There were rarely any cars that drove down this lane at this time of the day so it wouldn't have even mattered if she lay down on the road. But if anyone were to see her they'd come to the conclusion she was suicidal and sent her… back. Gulping, Elsa quickly released the little red leaf she was holding once she realized she'd frosted it over. She kicked it with the toe of her shoe until it crumbled to pieces and was carried away by the wind. She could almost smell winter approaching- her bones tingled in anticipation as her magic swelled with delight. The rest of her was as unimpressed as ever.

It was then that a sharp cry of distress pierced her surroundings, causing Elsa to jump to her feet. It emanated from the alley behind her, echoing and bouncing off the red brick walls. Silently, the blond made her way to the mouth of the alley and peered down its length, barely able to make out the shapes of what seemed to be three- no four- people. She'd nearly missed the one crouching on the floor.

'Where're you off to, little monster?' one of the standing figures asked, his voice drifting up the alley.

'School,' was the nervous reply.

'School? At this time of the year?'

'That 'special' school stays open for winter,' said another man.

Snarling, the three figures circled the one on the ground and yet another cry resounded off the walls before it was silenced by a sharp kick to its source. The person on the ground- most probably a girl- doubled over in pain. Elsa gasped audibly and one of the figures standing snapped his head up to glare at her.

'Hey there, is anything wrong?' Elsa called out, hoping they'd think she'd aimlessly wandered in.

'Nothing,' was the short reply- probably one of the other boys standing.

They were definitely boys; she could tell by the way they stood in brutish, intimidating stances.

'Doesn't look like nothing,' Elsa said, smirking as she strolled closer to the group.

She could see the girl on the floor clearly now- she was young and innocent, eyes wide with fear, arms quaking at her sides. Shocking waves of purple hair flowed down to her shoulders and grazed her bruised elbows. Her lip was split open and blood trickled down her chin.

The three boys around her eyed the newcomer with wary glares. They sized Elsa up, taking in her casual jeans and comfortable cardigan. She didn't pose a threat. Laughing, one of them approached her.

'Why don't you run away him, little one?' he all but snarled.

'Why don't you?' Elsa retorted sharply.

The boy whistled, amused.

His friends snorted in the background and formed a tight circle around her and the girl on the floor. 'We'll have to take you both out then,' one said, cracking his knuckles for extra effect.

'The mutant and the blonde,' sneered another. '

Please no,' the other girl whimpered.

'I'll take care of this,' Elsa whispered gently to the purple-haired girl beside her. 'Keep your head down.'

Before anyone else could move, the 'blonde' pushed the young girl low enough to hug the ground and leapt over her and towards one of her attackers. Fingers outstretched she assaulted his face with a heavy rain of ice shards. Twisting around Elsa fired more at another attacker and swore as she missed. He charged at her, reaching out but she slipped away at the last moment. In the second that took him to realize she'd escaped, Elsa had already coated her fist in rock hard ice and was swinging it at his face. The blow caught him square on the jaw, and knocked him to the ground. She attacked the third in a similar way but he ducked and tripped her over with one swoop of his outstretched leg. Thudding to the floor, Elsa frantically searched her mind for more actions she could use to defend herself and the other victim. But her emotions got the best of her. The minute the third attacker loomed above her ominously, Elsa lost all control of her emotions. Something inside snapped and Elsa felt the panic wrack her body. A sharp tug in her chest indicated the upcoming onslaught of unbridled power.

Magic seeped from her every pore and lashed at her attackers, freezing them in place. A gush of icy cold wind whooshed through the alley, leaving a trail of frost upon everything it touched. Elsa snatched the purple haired girl into her arms before the latter could take in her surroundings.

'Hush,' she murmured. 'Everything is okay now. Let's get you out of here.'

The girl tensed in her arms, but let herself be dragged out of the alley by the other.

'It's cold,' the younger girl mumbled. Elsa chose to ignore that with a wince.

'Hey, you ok?' she asked the young girl once they were clear of the alley.

Clasping her shoulders, Elsa looked into her worrisome eyes.

'Hey,' she tried again, slowly shaking the other. 'I'm Elsa. Who're you?'

'Pix- I mean Megan,' was the stammered reply. 'I'm Megan.'

'Hi, Megan,' Elsa smiled warmly, blue eyes trying their utmost to convey comfort. 'Is there anywhere you have to be?'

Megan took a while to register the question, and once she did, her eyes lit up in worry and widened to the size of saucers. It was almost laughable. Almost.

'School… I've got to go to school!' Her voice still shook from fear, but her eyes seemed to have regained their confidence.

'Do you need any help getting there?' Elsa offered.

Megan paused, looking around herself before she faced her blue eyed savior with an answer.

'I could use some company, yeah.'

Elsa broke into a grin that took up nearly half her face.

'Lead the way then.'

* * *

The two walked the streets in amiable conversation. Megan told Elsa a little about herself and Elsa returned the favor. Of course in depth personal details weren't discussed- and both veered their conversation away from the incident in the alley. That seemed to be something they'd unconsciously agreed not to talk about.

'So… what's with the hair?' Elsa ventured, gesturing at the mass of purple waves atop Megan's head.

'I could ask you the same about yours,' the other joked.

Elsa blushed furiously, ears turning a pinkish hue.

'It's natural,' she said, self consciously twirling the end of her braid.

Megan's eyes widened yet again. '

No way!' she exclaimed. 'That's crazy cool. You don't know what I'd give for such pretty hair. It's so… so…-,'

'Weird?' Elsa supplied.

'Unique,' Megan corrected with a laugh.

'Thanks, I guess,' Elsa mumbled with a small smile.

Megan opened her mouth as if to say something, but was promptly cut off by a sharp yell from further up the street.

From up ahead, a figure came hurtling in their direction, spewing profanities and words of relief all in one massive sentence. Elsa immediately felt the need to jump in front of the younger girl in a protective stance… or even stand up for her defense.

'Megan Gwynn you are absolutely SCREWED!'

It was boy almost her age, rushing towards them, raven black hair tossed wildly in the autumn wind. He wore a red leather jacket over what seemed to be a… body suit? Elsa frowned at his choice of clothing and scrutinized his face. His dark eyes held a furious thunder that was mostly directed at poor Megan.

'Where were you all this time?' he hissed at the girl in question.

'I got held up,' Megan squeaked, nervously toying with the hem of her jersey.

The boy leaned back slightly, taking in the distressed look upon Megan's face, her bruised lip and Elsa's presence hovering beside her.

'Who're you?' he snapped suddenly, looking up at the blond.

'Um… I… um, I'm a friend,' Elsa replied, vaguely.

He made a face at that and turned back to Megan. 'C'mon, you've caused enough trouble already,' he spat, grasping her arm and tugging her up the street.

'Megan-,' Elsa began.

'Don't worry, I know this guy,' the other smiled warily, twisting around in the boy's grasp.

And that was when Elsa realized… he wasn't really holding Megan at all.

His fingers formed a fist that was inches away from Megan's arm, yet she stumbled after him like as if he was dragging her along.

'What,' Elsa whispered to herself.

Of course her mind was playing tricks on her. She hadn't even had breakfast yet. Her stomach made a horrible growling noise, and she decided it was time to head back home. 'I'll see you later?' Elsa heard Megan call out.

Grinning she looked over her shoulder at the purple-haired girl and nodded.

* * *

a/n: soo there we go.. chapter 2. those of you who have read the xmen comics can probably see the gears turning as the plot thickens *muhahaha*(i've started bringing in key characters and all... sorry if its moving too slow for any of y'all but i need to bring in the crossover part gently.. otherwise it's too crazy :P i'm trying to make this awesome for you guysss.. so review and fave and follow :3 more chapters coming sooon 3


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: i do not own any of the characters in this fic, they all belong to Disney or Marvel. i just write this story :3 **

**happy reading and reviewing :P**

* * *

**Day Twelve**

Later never came- or at least it didn't for over a week and a half. Elsa never saw neither the mysterious Megan nor her friend and was beginning to wonder if she'd ever seen them at all. It wasn't entirely impossible for her to have imagined the encounter… after all she hadn't even had a single meal that day or the day before. Thinking back now she realized she must have lost it. The hallucinations were back somehow.

At least the voice wasn't.

Anything but the voice.

Sighing deeply, Elsa popped four tiny pills into her mouth and swallowed it down with a gulp of water. She was on her meds again, for the fourth time this week. It helped with the hallucinations and also held her emotions in check. That resulted in her being sleepy most of the time and made her movements rather sluggish. But anything was better than hearing Anna or Gerda threaten to send her _back_.

Today was the same as usual; Elsa lay in the yard, arms outstretched and feet scissoring in the crisp snow to leave an imprint of an angel. Staggering carefully to her feet, the blond inspected the form left behind in the snow and scowled once she realized it was far from perfect.

'I used to be good at this,' she mumbled, remembering the times she and Anna had made snow angels and such back home.

Nostalgia hit her like a truck on a speedway. Sighing she lay back down in the inch deep angel and settled in the snow till she was comfortable. Snowflakes danced in her vision, twisting and twirling in the frosty air, creating lazy patterns till they finally perched upon her eyelashes and brows. A few slipped under her coat collar, causing goose-bumps to race across the skin they touched. A small smile crept across her face. As much as she hated it, the snow reminded her of home- and that was the best feeling ever. Warm soup by the fireplace with Mother and Father; the stories they'd tell them, about whimsical lands and far-off islands with pirates and fairies and sunken treasure; the cozy nights when all four of them would cuddle in one large bed beneath the ridiculously massive quilts Mother would buy during spring; the way the living room glowed when she'd freeze it over so she and Anna could ice skate indoors; the way Anna's face would light up when they'd build a snowman and dance with him around the house..

The memories trailed off only to be replaced by sharp tugs of pain once reality settled in, reminding Elsa that her parents were now _dead_ and nothing could be done to relive these memories. Desperate tears scaled her pale cheeks, nearly freezing halfway down her face.

Back inside, Gerda called out for the two of them to attend supper.

Without a word, Elsa slipped back inside and, tossing her boots to a corner, made her way to the dining table, trying her best not to look too forlorn.

To Anna's knowledge the meds were supposed to be keeping Elsa happy.

Smiling wryly, she took her seat at the table and started serving herself some toast and soup.

Anna watched her silently, her eyes unwavering.

'How was your walk?' she asked suddenly.

Elsa stared at her blankly.

'You told me you were going for a walk,' Anna explained.

'I did?' Elsa frowned deeply, reflecting on the near past.

'Ye-es,' the redhead rolled her eyes skyward. 'You refused to play scrabble with me because you said you "needed some air', remember?'

Els could feel her sister's suspicion grow. 'Ah yes, the walk,' she lied with a false grin. She hadn't walked at all. A sudden bout of sadness and despair had come over her and she'd spent the last 3 hours moping in the backyard. 'Yeah, it was more of a… stroll actually. I uh… saw some interesting stuff.'

Anna smiled gently, spooning some soup into her bowl. 'Oh that's great, Els. What sort of stuff?'

_Great_, Elsa groaned inwardly. She looked out the window frantically, in search of anything interesting she could relate to her inquisitive sister.

But what she saw out the window was far from interesting. It froze her in place and sent ripples of fear coursing down her spine.

A dark shape was huddled against their window-sill, face pressed against the glass, shadowed by a massive hood. Soft grey eyes peered out from beneath, piercing right through her. What shocked her most were the giant protrusions on the figure's back. Large feathery structures stemmed from behind his shoulder blades, stretching over his head tilting up towards the sky. They were a dusty shade of white, almost blending right in with the snowy background.

Slowly, so as not to scare it away, Elsa stretched her foot out under the table in search of Anna's legs. Once she found them, she gave her sister a good kick in the shin.

'Ow, what- what is it?' Anna snapped, looking up from her food.

Elsa gestured wildly at the window, but the figure had disappeared.

'Els?' Anna questioned, frowning at the blond who was now rushing toward the window.

'There was something- no some_one_ here!' Elsa exclaimed, peering through the glass at the empty street outside.

'Riiiight,' Anna agreed blankly.

Shrugging, the ginger turned her attention back to her supper- mind reeling with fear of her sister's hallucinations returning.

Elsa stayed by the window, her palms pressed against the glass. Soft tendrils of ice laced the surface upon which her skin touched. Sighing she looked down towards the ends of the window, where the icy tendrils were accumulating to form a layer of frost.

_Was that a- _

A small gasp fought its way up her throat.

'Els, you alright?' Anna called.

'Y- yeah,' the blond replied. 'I'm gonna open this window for a sec, okay?'

Anna didn't seem to dispute the idea, so Elsa went ahead, slipping her fingers through the small opening she'd made when she'd eased the window upwards, to grasp and the object on the window-sill outside. Shutting the window, she mumbled a quick excuse about needing to pee really badly and fled to her room.

Once inside she collapsed at her study table, flicked the switch of the lamp on and inspected the object in her hand.

She was right- it was a feather. It was a soft dove white, frosted with specks of snow. It was larger than any feather she'd ever seen, running almost the length of her arm up to her elbow.

A burst of laughter bubbled in her heart, as she turned the feather over and over on its side, making sure that it was very much real. She had proof. She wasn't hallucinating. She wasn't crazy.

* * *

'That's a bird feather,' Anna stated blankly, looking at the object in her palm.

Sighing she handed it back to her dumbstruck sister. 'Is this why you called me to your room?'

Elsa snatched at the feather mumbling, 'It's not just any feather, it belongs to the guy I saw outside the window.'

'Oh, the one with _wings_, yes?' Anna said with a roll of her doe-eyes. 'Yeah about that story- I'm not sure I believe it entirely.'

The blond went slack-jawed at the sight of the feather. _It had shrunk. How could it have shrunk? Why? Why now? _

'It… it was huge,' she muttered.

'Well, it isn't anymore,' Anna replied crossly, clearly losing patience. 'You're just tired, Els. You need to rest. You're see-,'

'DON'T tell me I'm seeing things,' Elsa snapped angrily. 'I know what I saw, and I have proof!'

She waved the tiny white feather in her sister's face.

Anna sighed heavily. 'It's a normal feather from a normal bird. Unless you saw a dove peering in through our window, then I don't suppose it'll be of much use as evidence.'

'But, Anna you must trust me,' Elsa pleaded. 'I know what I saw.'

'And I don't,' the redhead replied, stifling a yawn. 'Listen, it's late. I'm going off to Merida's tomorrow so maybe you could clear your head a bit and… um, investigate into this thing. Yeah. That should be fun.'

Elsa just watched in silence as her sister picked herself up off the chair and sauntered out of her room, yawning all the way.

'G'night, Els,' the ginger called out.

Elsa didn't reply.

* * *

**Day Thirteen**

She saw the figure again.

She hadn't expected to; it had been quite a surprise. Of course once she'd gathered her wits and called out for Anna, it had disappeared.

Elsa could feel he sister growing more and more impatient by the hour. The redhead was barely tolerating the blond, growling in annoyance every time the "figure" was brought up in conversation - which was very unlikely of her. Anna was known for her gentle ways. But lately she was only either yelling at Gerda or away at her friend Merida's place. She spent most of her time there, away from Elsa and her 'hallucinations'. Anna had lived through her older sister's breakdown once already; she didn't plan on doing it again.

Elsa was left alone to her own devices, alone to decide for herself whether what she was seeing was real or not.

Before she'd gone away to get better, the severe depression, from her parents' demise and her own isolationist life in general, had induced several hallucinatory visions. They'd usually leave her in a broken mess of tears and cries- forcing her social caseworker to take action for her greater good. This time around, the visions seemed so devastatingly real.

Elsa swore to herself that she'd actually seen the… _thing_ hovering outside their household. She could feel its presence everywhere she went. Something – or some_one_- was watching them, and for some reason or the other she didn't feel as perturbed by it as she had the first time she'd seen it.

She kept the tiny white feather, her only piece of evidence, hidden away in the pocket of her favorite jersey, fingering it once in a while to remind herself that she wasn't entirely insane.

As she walked the lonely corridors of their ridiculously large home, Elsa took an unconscious peek out the French windows adorning the walls to her right. Sure enough she could just make out the blurry image of the winged _figure_ through the blizzard of snow. Pressing her palms to the glass she tried her best to clear away as much as she could of the snow storm outside. It was a futile attempt, however, and all that resulted from her concentration was the frosting of the window pane due to her touch.

Sighing in defeat, Elsa made her way to her room.

Once safe inside, she froze every surface she could find, including the walls and theceilings, and sat on the floor, deep in thought. She let the magic in her loosen up a bit and allowed flecks of snow to flutter around her room. Sighing once more, she took in the frozen surfaces of the bedroom, noting the way the sunlight danced across the semi-reflective ice. It was beautiful in a breath-taking way. Not only that, but it provided her with a sense of safety and protection she couldn't quite explain.

Maybe she could keep her room like this forever. The cold didn't bother her anyway- neither did the tiny snowflakes. Elsa smiled to herself lightly. _This could be my…,_ she mused silently, searching for the right term to describe her new-found haven. _Ice palace._

* * *

'I don't know what comes over her!' Anna exclaimed. 'She- she just loses it and goes all cuckoo on me sometimes, you know? And I- I cant do this anymore. It hurts, you know? It just hurts to… to see her like this and to listen to her stories knowing… _knowing_ that they're not true and that she's imagining it all. I just want my sister back, you know? That's all.'

The girl across from her sat in a casual cross-legged stance, covered entirely in a massive patchwork quilt, bright orange hair framing her pale face like an explosion… or firework of some sort.

'Nay… I don't think I can quite relate,' the girl answered, pulling a stubborn curl away from her eyes. 'I ain't got any sisters, yer see?'

Anna sighed harshly. 'But you get the idea, don't you?' she asked, rubbing her face with both hands.

The other girl scratched her head lightly and squirmed. 'Idea of_ what_, exactly?' she asked quietly.

'Merida!' Anna exclaimed in shock. 'Have you been listening to _anything_ I've been saying for the past fifteen minutes?'

'Erm, would yer be mad if I said… no?' the other asked, freckled features pulling into a grimace.

Anna looked ready to explode.

'Yes, then. Of course I've been listening to yer,' Merida corrected herself hastily. 'Been doing nothing else.'

'Then what have I been talking about?' Anna asked flatly.

Merida smiled widely, like as if she'd been expecting the question and already had the correct answer ready. 'Your cat,' she said.

'Elsa is my _sister_, you twit,' Anna sputtered, unsure whether to laugh or be angry.

Merida's face twisted into a scowl of embarrassment, her freckles contrasting against her blushing skin. 'That was going to be my second guess,' she mumbled.

This forced a laugh out of Anna, relieving her of some of the stress that had knotted in her shoulders and caused her brows to join in a permanent frown.

Her friend watched as the tension left the ginger's eyes to be replaced by mirth and laughter.

'Listen erm, I might not be the best listener yer know. But you've got me to talk to when'vr yer want. Always remember that,' Merida said, in sudden seriousness, eyes hard with determination to be of use to her friend.

Anna smiled appreciatively and reached out to hug the other redhead. 'Thanks Merida,' she mumbled into the mop of copper curls now masking her face as they embraced each other. 'I won't forget that.'

* * *

'That's the third time for today!' Elsa exclaimed, rushing to the front lawn in time to hear a loud flutter indicating the figure had left.

She stomped around the garden for a while, fuming over the absence of the figure and its evasiveness. All she wanted to do was to make sure it was real.

'Come back!' she yelled at the gloomy November sky.

She ignored the harsh cold spreading from her toes- she'd forgotten to put on shoes and a coat. The snow rose up to her ankles, dragging her down slowly, causing her to stumble with every wild step she took.

'Please come back,' Elsa whispered, pleadingly, eyes frantically searching the sky. 'I won't hurt you I won't-,'

'Yer right, Anna, she's gone bollocks!'

Elsa twisted around in search of the voice and came face to face with two redheads. One of them, with a giant frizzy mane, was grinning cheerfully in her direction and the other, her sister, look unimpressed.

Anna had her hands on her hips, her lips set in a grim line.

'Merida you go on ahead, ask Gerda to make you a nice cup of hot chocolate. Elsa and I have to talk,' Anna said forcefully, eyes shooting daggers at the blond before her.

Merida's grin faltered. 'Erm,' she began.

'Merida, go. Now.'

'Consider me gone already,' the crazy-haired redhead mumbled, fleeing towards the house.

Anna stormed up to her sister, hand on hips, frown set in place over her angry brown eyes. Snow fell around them in heavy tufts, blurring their surroundings to the extent that everything was either shades of grey or white- a deep, depressing monochromatic smudge.

'You do NOT know how insane you look right now,' the younger girl quipped.

'Anna listen-,' Elsa started.

'NO Els, YOU listen! I'm tired of your excuses and your false promises. You said… you_ said_ you'd try. And I said okay. You _told_ me that you'd _try_. That's all I ever wanted- for you to try and make everything better. But _no_ all you've ever done since you came back was make everything _worse_! I can _see_ that you're not trying. Are you even taking your meds?' Anna didn't even wait for an answer. 'This can't go on Els. We can't go on like this. I – I didn't want to but…'

The pause made Elsa's insides twitch in agony.

'No, please no you can't… Anna please,' she nearly wept in despair.

_Not that again. Not that. _

'Els, I have to.'

Simple. That was all.

No discussion, no arguments.

Anna went back inside.

Elsa stayed outside.

The snow stopped falling, frozen in place as the heart of a certain magical being shattered into a million little pieces.

* * *

a/n: aaand another chapter's done :3 i made this one a little longer for you guys.. so- read fave and review i guess:) oh and follow this story or me (the author) if you want updates for when i post a new chapter. its easier to follow that way :P

please review? it'll make me happy and write more awesomeness for you guys :3 think of it as.. _fuel_ for authors.. pretty little reviews 3

it'll make my day :P


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: all characters belong to Marvel or Disney.**

**a/n :Oh i'm sorry if i'm dragging this out a bit, but i really felt like i couldn't just throw her into the world of x-men so suddenly. this chapter is when the clash actually begins. and since most of you are impatient for more of the x-men, i'll be putting up TWO chapters today. (yeaauh that's right. see how much i love you guys?)**

**so happy reading! please review **

* * *

**Day Fourteen**

The pancakes adorned in chocolate were a sign.

A bad one in fact.

Elsa frowned disapprovingly at the dish before her, before slowly nudging it away from herself, her appetite plummeting out of existence. She loved chocolates- and Gerda rarely allowed them to have any, which meant this breakfast of pancakes drowning in chocolate syrup was some sort of generous gesture.

Or a _pitiful _gesture.

Considering the circumstances it was probably a goodbye gift.

A farewell token.

One that screamed 'thanks-for-dropping-by-now-get-going'.

Gerda peered from the kitchen and into the dining room, looking forlorn as she gazed upon Elsa- who was curled up in her chair, poking at the pancakes. The old caretaker looked as if she was to say something- maybe a few parting words, or something of the sort, but was cut short by the shrill sounding o the electric bell.

It rang twice… thrice… until Anna began yelling from her room for someone to '_open the goddamn door_'. Gerda spurred into action, and waddled away towards the entrance to the household.

Elsa sighed in her chair, gave the pancakes yet another distasteful shove with her fork, picked up her luggage and trailed behind the housekeeper.

The door was open halfway, so that Gerda could both observe the guest from a safe distance and shut the door in his face without letting him in, if the need arose.

'Who exactly did you say you were?' she was asking, when Elsa ambled up behind her, luggage in tow.

There was a rather muffled reply, but there was enough clarity to recognize that the speaker was a man.

The answer seemed to confuse Gerda, as she flicked her eyes down to scan a piece of paper in her hand and then lift her gaze back up to scrutinize the man before her.

'It says we should be waiting for a MISS. Halloway…,' she trailed off, scrunching her face at the visitor.

The man outside sighed gently, not in an unpleasant way and pressed closer to the door.

'I'm the new caseworker,' he said, handing Gerda a small card.

The housekeeper opened the door fully, revealing a tall, lean fair-haired gentleman, with stormy grey eyes, decked in a full suit, complete with a coral blue tie. He shuffled his feet, almost as if he wasn't accustomed to the outfit and adjusted the knot at his throat.

'They assigned me to her last week- Miss. Halloway has left the country for reasons I cannot discuss. That card is from my superiors informing you of the change. I'm sorry if it causes any inconveniences, but if all is set then I shall escort Miss. Elsa to the vehicle now,' he explained slowly, voice lilting with a touch of a New York accent.

The blond started. This man before her looked so familiar it gave her the chills. Those eyes… she'd most definitely seen them before.

Wordlessly, she brushed past Gerda, who was muttering her un-required consent to the matters unfolding, and dragged her luggage down the drive to the sleek black Chevrolet parked just outside the garden fence.

The man in the suit jogged to catch up to her in order to hold the door open while she sank into the black leather seats.

Elsa struggled to keep a straight face as the car pulled away from the curb and onto the road. She flicked her eyes skyward, and in an attempt to ignore Gerda's forlorn goodbyes, caught sight of Anna peering through her bedroom window.

The redhead's pale face was depressingly tear-stained and looked as if a thousand miseries were eating away at it, but it was only at the window for a split second.

The car rolled away from her house and began its long journey to Phoenix, where her rehabilitation center was located- until suddenly, it took a left and began heading further in to the heart of the town.

'Wh- where are we going?' Elsa questioned, frowning at her surroundings.

The man in the suit, who was now driving, twisted in his seat to face her.

'You're Elsa, am I right?' he asked simply.

Elsa snorted in reply. 'What kind of caseworker doesn't know his subjects?'

''I'm not a goddamn caseworker,' the man replied, through gritted teeth.

The poor girl's eyes widened, almost to the size Megan's expanded to. 'Who are you and where are you taking me?'

'Some place you ought to be.'

'And where's that?'

'You'll see soon enough.'

'And how do I know you're not kidnapping me?'

An eerie smile flickered across the blond man's lips. 'Trust me, child. If I wanted to kidnap you, this would've gone down differently.'

Elsa gulped. 'Okay so, who are you?' she asked, heart hammering in her chest as the car continued to take turn after turn, speeding down roads she'd used to walk in the mornings.

Vaguely, Elsa remembered this route; she'd taken it not long ago with a certain violet haired individual.

'The name's Angel,' the man in the suit replied, cursing wildly as a dog scampered across the path of the racing Chevrolet.

'Angel? What sort of name is _that_?' Elsa asked, making a face she hoped he could see.

The blond man shrugged, indifferently. 'What sort of name's "Elsa"?' he questioned, taking a sharp turn around a bend.

'It's _my _name,' Elsa sniffed, clutching to her seat- a queasy feeling stirring at the pit of her stomach.

'As Angel is mine,' the man huffed, finally slowing the car down to a lawfully acceptable speed.

Elsa gulped in a breath of air to calm her jittery nerves.

'Where are you taking me… uhm-Angel?' she asked, quietly this time, struggles to keep her emotions at bay.

Already she could feel the leather seats cooling considerably at her touch.

'See for yourself,' the strangely named man smirked, turning the vehicle into a pair of massive wrought-iron gates that opened slowly on their own, as if operated by machine.

The soft gravel crunched under the tires of the car as it followed a pathway that led from the gates to an equally massive building. Make that 'several massive buildings'.

Colonial style structures rose from a lawn covered in an inch deep, crisp layer of snow, towering high into the sky- sandy brick walls half coated in lush ivy. The main building, the one right at the center of the semi-circle shaped driveway, had a bronze plaque with engraved lettering that adorned a facade held aloft by ancient Greek style Corinthian pillars.

Elsa frowned as she read it.

'You're bringing me _here_?' she asked the man in the suit (she refused to call him Angel yet). 'But… it's a school.'

'So? A school is where you refine talents, is it not?' he asked in reply.

'What do you mean by that?' Elsa's frown grew deeper as she peered at the monumental building before her.

Angel (ah well then, the name did suit him- it was about time she grew used to it) groaned. 'Ah I'm just the recruiter, I don't do fancy speeches and all that 'welcome-to-our-humble-abode' nonsense. The professor or Kitty will do that. Heck, I don't even get a standardized guide for this job. People like you, with so many questions freak the hell outta me,' he muttered, half to himself, half to anyone who was listening. 'Some days, I just wing it.'

He chuckled to himself then, like as if he'd been successfully witty- but Elsa didn't get it, so she waited quietly till the car came to a halt and then hopped out gracefully, feet crunching delightfully upon the gravel.

The entire campus was garbed in heavy silence, the crickets weren't even chirping.

Angel appeared at her side with her luggage in hand and flashed an encouraging smile.

'It's warm inside,' he said. 'You might wanna lose the hoodie.'

* * *

He was right.

It was warm inside.

The first thing that hit Elsa as she entered the massive building, was the welcoming heat- it made her feel toasty warm deep in her toes and in a few seconds flat she was struggling to detach herself from her cardigan.

Angel strode purposefully through the halls ahead of her, shoes clicking gently on the marbled flooring. She tried her best to keep up, gawking at every pillar, archway, corridor and staircase. Everything looked so regal, so elegant; it made her feel so tiny and insignificant.

'Everyone here is of _some_ significance, m'dear. I assure you,' a warm voice interrupted her thoughts.

Elsa whirled around in surprise. No one was in the vicinity, save Angel and herself.

'Who- who was that?' she asked no one in particular.

Angel frowned back at her. 'Could've been the professor,' he said shrugging. 'Could've been anyone, really.'

'But no one's around,' Elsa added, searching the hallway for a hint of a presence.

'Ah, well you see the professor, he has a rather _strange_ way of communicating- if you could call it that,' Angel replied briefly, with a vague flick of his hand, as if to dismiss the topic of conversation.

His strides lengthened as he practically skipped up a flight of stairs, only to take a sharp turn and walk briskly down another corridor.

'Who is this professor? Does he teach here?' Elsa asked, struggling to keep up. 'You still haven't told me why I was brought here. Does my sister know about this? Was it her idea?'

Angel came to an abrupt halt, nearly causing her to run into him. He turned, scowling and said; 'I suggest you save your questions for until you meet with the professor. We're on our way to his office right now- you can ask him when we get there.'

* * *

The office was large and spacious, with a splendid view of the campus grounds. Thick curtains adorned each window, shadowing the room to a certain extent. Fire crackled merrily in the hearth, casting a reddish glow to the entire left section of the room. A smooth mahogany table stood to the right, its surface was covered with a scattering of papers and files that were inches thick. Behind it, the wall had been transformed entirely into a bookcase- holding over a 1000 neatly packed books with spines as large as one's hand.

'Good morning.'

It was the same voice from before, except now it sounded much closer.

Elsa spun on her toes in search of the source.

It came from a pleasant face man, who was completely bald with small, friendly eyes that sparkled with curiosity and joy. He was dressed in a comfortable looking turtleneck, and seemed way, way too short for his age- until Elsa realized he was seated in a wheelchair.

The chair moved the man forward automatically; in fact, the wheelchair was like none other Elsa had ever seen.

'You must be Elsa,' the man smiled gently. 'I apologize for our methods in bringing you here. To be truthful, we didn't have many options. I just had to let Angel do what he did best.'

Elsa could _feel_ Angel smirking behind her.

'But you see m'dear,' the man continued, his chair moving him to his desk. 'The state that you're in required us to take swift action. As you must be aware of already- your… _predicament_ is getting out of control- is it not?'

The girl squinted at the man before her, trying hard to peel off the layers of subtext to see what he was really getting at. Some thing deep within her knew what he was talking about- it gnawed at her heart in an unpleasant way.

'It's only depression,' she said, confidently.

The man's brows shot up high in his head and she could hear Angel choking his lungs out behind her.

'I believe we aren't on the same page,' the bald man stated calmly, indicating to Angel that he should stop coughing immediately.

'I don't know what else we could be talking about,' Elsa answered, twisting her fingers behind her back.

The room seemed to shrink before her very eyes, crushing the air out of her lungs. She tried her best to keep her emotions at bay. It wouldn't do to turn this room into a massive snow fort. She nearly fainted with the pressure.

'There's no use lying, m'dear,' the professor sighed heavily. 'I _can_ read your mind you know.'

Elsa froze- literally. He _what_?

'The ability to… do things that most would assume 'out of the ordinary' or in some cases 'supernatural, is common here. I myself am able to peer into the minds of others, view their thought processors just as you would view a motion picture. It's a gift, m'dear. It makes us special- makes us who we are. And that's why we've brought you here. You are one of us and belong with us. You deserve the safety and training this institute provides to people like us. Your reports state that you can control certain _environmental_ elements-am I right?' the professor questioned, and Elsa could feel his eyes look into her soul.

Mutely, she nodded.

'Elements such as ice and snow?' he prodded.

'How did you know?' Elsa found herself asking- her mind was in too much of a mess to actually filter everything she said at this point.

'We've been watching you for a while- or at least Angel has,' the professor stated simply.

Elsa turned to face the blond man beside her. 'YOU were the figure in the window?' she asked incredulously, looking up at him in awe and doubt.

'Yeah,' Angel answered, chest swelling with pride as he shifted to stand a little straighter.

'B-but that guy had…' Elsa trailed off as Angel threw a wink in her way and rolled his shoulders- allowing a pair of massive white structures to erupt from his shoulder blades. They stretched themselves out, spanning to the left and right- so wide that one of them would be large enough to wrap around Elsa like a tortilla.

'Wings,' the teen finished, gulping audibly as she ogled at the pair that was attached to Angel's back.

'Elsa, m'dear,' the professor's voice cut her observation short.

'Staring is rude you know,' Angel whispered with a smirk as she hastily turned back around to face the old man in the wheelchair.

'Every single being within these halls are exactly like you… and very much unlike you at the same time. Each student- and faculty member alike- is unique in their own way, yet share one thing in common; their home. This is what we ask of you today: will you join us Elsa, to be safe, to be protected, to learn about yourself and your kind and to fix all the problems you have with yourself?' the professor asked, gently leaning forward in his chair, eyes conveying the seriousness of the conversation.

Elsa swallowed deeply.

'You don't have to answer right away. Angel will escort you to your room and you may spend the day observing the school and its inhabitants,' the wheelchair moved its occupant to one of the large windows that supplied a view of the school's grounds- now carpeted in a layer of snow.

Elsa nodded, and taking their cue she turned to leave with Angel.

'Oh, and Miss Elsa?' the professor called after them, just before the door closed.

The duo paused outside the office, Elsa in wait for what the man had to say and Angel in wait for Elsa to follow him downstairs.

'I've forgotten my manners- my name is Charles Xavier, but most of the students call me Professor X,' the man was saying. 'Welcome to my School for Gifted Youngsters.'

* * *

'So everyone here is… magical?' Elsa ventured, as she strolled down empty corridors with Angel at her side.

She was supposed to meet someone named Kitty, but she was busy at the moment so Angel had suggested they explore the school.

'I wouldn't call it _magic_,' he answered, nose scrunching as he displayed his distaste for the word. 'We're more genetically altered than we are magical.'

'That sounds scientific,' Elsa scowled, watching as snow flakes tumbled gently onto the 'training field' as Angel had called it. It looked like an ordinary field to her.

'And magical sounds imaginary,' he retorted, frowning down at her.

'Fine,' she huffed. 'Where's everybody?'

'Classes.'

'During winter?' Elsa asked, shocked. 'What about winter break? Or Christmas break? Wait a minute… does Megan Gwynn school here?'

Hadn't one of those bullies mentioned her going to a 'special school that stayed open in the winter?

'Whoa whoa slow down. How'd you know Megan?' Angel asked, curiosity sparking in his grey eyes.

'I – it's a long story,' Elsa mumbled. Something within her felt that Megan wouldn't want that incident conveyed to her superiors. 'Does she go here or not?'

'Yeah she does,' Angel replied. 'She's probably in the Danger Room. Xavier's got some kids teamed up in there.'

'The danger room?' Elsa asked, her curiosity piqued.

Angel grinned. 'Wanna go check up on them?'

It took them a while, but they finally reached a giant metallic wall behind which- according to Angel- the Danger Room lay. Apparently it was a specifically designed training facility in which the trainees could fight in a simulation environment of an actual war. Megan was one of the chosen few who were training inside at the moment, and Kitty herself was in the control booth, overseeing their training session.

'What exactly are they doing?' Elsa asked, frowning at her reflection in the massive steel wall before her.

'Dunno,' Angel replied casually, crouching to sit at the base of the wall.

'I thought you said we were going to check up on them,' Elsa pouted, feeling a sudden urge to break in through the wall and find out exactly how 'genetically altered' these people were.

'By that I meant 'sit around until they're done and ask them how it went',' Angel sighed, squirming to find a comfortable position on the floor.

'So this is what they in do in _school_?' she questioned in awe. 'Fight?'

'We're special people, Elsa. We don't need algebra.'

'May I join you?' Elsa asked, after a few minutes of frowning at the steel wall and willing it to open in vain.

Angel chuckled and patted the ground beside him. 'Yes you _may_.'

They sat in amiable silence for a grand total of ten minutes before the blond man broke the silence.

'So,' he drawled, eyes roaming over Elsa's head. 'What's with the hair?'

She groaned audibly and clutched her temples in exasperation.

'It's NATURAL.'

* * *

a/n: second author's note but yeah i had to put that one up there so you'd see it before you read the chapter. it's true, i'll be putting two chapters up today. i'm in the process of writing the second so it might come out late. i'm sorry to all of you waiting for the x-men. trust me in the next chapter there's gonna be loads of them running around the place. now enough spoilers :3

review, fave and follow and just maaaybe i'll post the next chapter up faster ;)


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to either Marvel or Disney. **

**happy reading and reviewing :) here's the second chapter (for the day) that i promised 3 **

* * *

The doors to the Danger Room finally slid open with a pneumatic hiss.

It wasn't as dramatic as Elsa had expected, but for some reason her heart leapt to her mouth and stayed there. Angel bolted to his feet and she followed in suit.

Three figures ambled out of the darkness of the Danger Room, staggering as if the life had been sucked out of them. Elsa's face broke into a semi-grin semi-grimace as she caught sight of Megan in the trio and took in the state she was in.

They were decked in full black and yellow body suits, with a large X on their shoulder pads and their belts as well. They looked pretty dashing in their outfits and would've even looked like characters out of Mission Impossible- if it weren't for the gashes and scratches on every inch of exposed skin they had.

Megan's violet hair lay in a tousled heap across her face, shielding most of the cuts and bruises she had. There was a nasty gash on her chin, but it didn't seem to bother her one bit. Beside her were a boy and girl, both in the same predicament she was in.

The boy's entire face looked like as if it had been hit with a brick. It was red and puffy and tears leaked out of his eyes without him even noticing. The girl however looked a bit better than the other two. He brown shoulder length hair was still neatly held in place by two tiny green slides and her eyes twinkled merrily.

'You guys had your asses whooped!' she cried, dancing around the other two on her toes.

'Shut it, Trance,' the boy snapped. 'Or I'm gonna have to- hey, is that Angel?'

The trio looked up in unison, faces lighting in glee as they caught sight of the blond man who was still in his fancy suit.

'Heyy Angel my man!' the boy exclaimed, stretching out his arm in their general direction. 'Why you so gussied up?'

Angel smirked as he watched the three trainees scramble towards him, eager to hear about his escapades as the School's only, and highly respected (as he put it), Recruiter.

'Who'd you get this time?' Megan asked, punching him lightly on the shoulder.

'Is it another alien?' the brown haired girl- Trance? - pouted, pointedly displaying her distaste.

'I bet he scared whoever it was away,' the boy joked easily. 'You lost the catch didn't you? X is gonna have your head!'

'Yeah that's what the suit is for,' Angel said flatly. 'Blindfold predicted my funeral.'

'So… you _did_ recruit someone?' Megan frowned.

'Did you or did you not? Spit it out, man! You know we need new kids around here,' the boy groaned, slapping his palms to his face.

'Yeah,' Trance added. 'We're kinda getting sick of Hellion and his ego.'

Angel braked out a laugh. 'Yeah he's a bit self-obsessed isn't he? I'm not sure if we have ourselves a new _student_, but she's considering it- you are, right?'

He suddenly snapped around to face Elsa, who was cowering behind him.

'Uh- yeah I am. Yeah,' she muttered, feeling three pairs of eyes scrutinize her from head to toe.

'Elsa?' Megan exclaimed, eyes widening in the ridiculous way they did when she was either surprised or in a panic.

She flew- _flew_- towards the older girl, translucent wings unfurling from her back and fluttering wildly to carry her towards her target. Megan- better known as Pixie within the walls of the school- tackled Elsa to the ground amidst shouts of glee and confusion.

'You came? How did you? Did you meet the Professor? When did you arrive? How? Why? No wait… I know why. When?!'

Questions tumbled out of her lips faster then Elsa could blink. She squirmed under the weight of the other girl, who was now crouched over her, shouting words of joy mingled with torrents of questions that she herself allowed to go unanswered.

'You know her?' Elsa heard the boy ask.

She could only imagine what their facial expressions were.

'Of course I know her! She saved my ass-,' Megan stopped suddenly in the middle of her sentence, her face breaking into an expression that spelled "oops".

The boy and girl raised their eyebrows questioningly.

'She- uhm,' Megan sighed, relenting. 'Remember that day I got late to school?'

'Oh no,' Trance muttered, catching on with the story. 'You ran into one of _them_, didn't you?'

'Not one- there were three!' Megan exclaimed, while Elsa asked, 'Them?'

'Three?!' Trance repeated in shock.

''_Them_' being a group of puny humans who still believe we're evil,' the boy spat out, in reply to Elsa's question. 'After all we've done for them.'

Elsa itched to question him further on his last statement but Megan restarted her tale.

'She's the one who saved me,' the girl said proudly, snatching her pale blond savior off the floor and twirling her around in the air, three feet off the ground.

'SHE saved you?' the three on the ground asked, confused.

'Doing what exactly?' the boy called out, skeptically.

Elsa frowned at her friend as she set them both down on the floor carefully. 'I- I didn't do anything.'

'What, you thought I didn't see that… kung-fu ice thing you had going on?' Megan asked incredulously.

'I told you to keep your head down,' Elsa hissed, insecurity shrouding her instantly.

So Megan was the one who'd found her out. She was probably the one who'd informed the professor about her and her powers. Doubt tugged at her stomach as she watched Megan from the corner of her eyes. Could that girl even be trusted? Could anyone here be trusted?

'Kung-fu ice moves? Her?' the boy was asking. 'I'm sorry I don't see it.'

'Hey, let's not judge too fast,' Trance interjected.

'Yeah man, chill,' Angel added.

He crossed his arms across his chest and sighed. 'Anyway, I gotta get going- got some Recruiter stuff to do. I'll show you to your room once I get back okay?' he said, turning to face Elsa. 'For the time being, chill out with these guys. Megan, I'm putting you in charge.'

With that, he stalked to the end of the corridor, leading away from the Danger Room and with a rustling of his wings, disappeared from sight.

'Damn, I always wanted to do that,' the boy pouted, stomping his foot for extra effect before heading off in the opposite direction of which Angel had gone.

'Where's he going?' Elsa asked, watching him limp away muttering to himself about his various injuries.

'Most probably to the sick bay, to get his wounds cleaned up. You should go with him, Pixie,' Trance added, giving the violet-haired girl a once over. 'You look like trash.'

Rolling her eyes, Megan- or Pixie, Elsa wasn't sure which to call her- headed in the direction the boy had gone.

'Stay with Elsa, will you?' she said as she went. 'Just till I get back?'

Once Trance had nodded her consent, Megan took a few quick steps forward before kicking ff the ground and into the air, her lean body twisting dramatically as she went. Her wings peeled themselves off her back and fluttered rapidly; propelling her down the corridor behind the boy she'd been training with.

Elsa looked to Trance. The cheery brunette looked as if she hadn't even stepped into a fight, let alone the Danger Room.

'I rarely get too involved in a fight,' the girl explained, sensing Elsa's question.

'So… what is it that you _do_?' the pale blond asked, sizing the other up.

She was tiny, small-made to look like a fairy or some creature of the sort. Too bad she wasn't the one with wings. Her hair cut made her look even more childish, and that impish grin upon her lips added to the effect as well.

'I'm not exactly sure how to put this,' Trance began, head tilted to a side as she led Elsa away from the Danger Room and towards the normal classrooms. 'I have an astral form, which I can project from my body. It does all the fighting for me, all the supernatural, cool stuff while I run around trying to keep my physical body safe. Have I confused you?'

Elsa nodded. 'An astral form being what, exactly?'

'Let me just show you,' Trance said, offering a meek smile.

She took a few steps back from the other girl and closed her eyes in concentration. Her hazel bangs curtained her face as she hung her head so low; her chin grazed the swell of her chest. Suddenly she clenched her fists and wisps of blue emanated from her form. Slowly a ghostly figure, much like Trance herself, separated itself from the brown haired girl and hovered by her side.

Trance looked up, face slick with the clear sheen of sweat.

'Sorry it took a while, it gets harder to do when I'm tired,' the normal Trance apologized.

Elsa's gaze flickered between the two Trances- the 'physical' one and the other, which she could only assume was the 'astral'.

'My astral form can do everything I can't,' physical Trance was saying.

She suddenly spun around to peer over Elsa's shoulder and gestured with her arm to something behind the newcomer.

The wispy, holographic-looking 'astral form' sped in that direction fluidly, feet moving through the air so fast, that it crashed into its victim before it could even defend itself.

'OI!' the innocent victim- a young girl with shocking blue hair- thrashed wildly beneath the weight of the astral form. 'Trance, get yourself off me!'

The physical Trance smirked slightly and through some sort of mind connection, ordered her astral form to hoist her victim in the air and toss her towards the ceiling, with strength Elsa could never attributed to the bluish wispy astral form.

The blue haired girl screeched as she crashed into the ceiling and plummeted back down.

'Is that really necessary?' Elsa winced as the girl thudded to the floor.

'Oh don't be a wet blanket,' Trance pouted. 'We get this kind of bashing _everyday_. We're mutants and there's a war around the corner- we've got to be ready for this kind of thing.'

Elsa could only hope to the heavens that the poor girl hadn't broken any of her bones.

Her wish came true, thankfully, as the blue haired victim picked herself off the floor, growling at the astral form before her.

'Where are you, Trance?' she spat blood at adversary. 'Hiding away are you?'

Elsa released a deep breath. Somehow, the fact that they weren't in the blue haired girl's periphery calmed her down a bit because she looked _furious_.

'Don't make me come and find you,' she snarled, stalking forward dangerously, the brown coat that shrouded her bodysuit floating around her ankles.

The astral form seemed to grin as Trance instructed it to leap forward and flip the other girl over its shoulder. The figure moved gracefully, almost fluidly, grasping its stunned victim by the waist before judo-flipping her over its shoulder. But before the blue haired girl slammed into the ground, she twisted herself out of astral-Trance's grasp and kicked it in the back, sending it sprawling across the corridor. She growled low in her throat and thrust her arms forward.

A slight breeze kicked up the dust in the corridor, swirling its way over to the blue haired girl. Electricity crackled down her arms, engulfing her in a blue glow as it shot out from her fingers and- before Trance or her astral form could react- assaulted the figure on the floor. Electric pulses rode up and down the astral form until it dissipated from sight.

There was a tiny gasp from beside her and Elsa spun around in time to catch Trance, whose knees had given way.

'Surge, you bitch,' Trance managed to croak, before passing out completely.

Elsa's head shot up at the sound of the blue haired girl's voice saying: 'Trance, there you are you little coward! I'm in the right mind to- oh darn it, is she alright?'

The other girl rushed to Elsa's side, crouching beside them to peer at Trance's paling face.

'I knew I used too much energy, 'she sighed, rocking back on her heels. 'What was she doing, attacking me like that?'

'She um… wanted to show me how her 'astral' thingy worked,' Elsa admitted, covertly checking Trance's pulse just to see if she was still alive.

The other girl- "Surge", Trance had called her- glanced at her questioningly.

'You new here?' she asked. 'I haven't seen you around before.'

Elsa nodded and cast her eyes towards Trance's limp body still against her own.

'Mind helping me to take her to the sick bay?' she asked Surge.

The other sniffed, flicking her blue fringe out of her eyes. 'I was hoping you'd suggest we left her alone here.'

Before Elsa could gasp in shock, Surge reached out and slung the unconscious Trance over her shoulder. Without so much as a grunt, she trudged in the direction of the sick bay, stopping only to ask Elsa if she planned on following.

Snapping out of her reverie, the blond stumbled to her feet and trailed the blue haired other, hoping against hope she wouldn't drop Trance on the way.

Unfortunately, fate had decided to stop fulfilling her wishes.

Surge dropped Trance on the way to the sick bay.

Twice.

* * *

There'd been a reunion of sorts at the sick bay, which began when Match- the boy from the Danger Room- spotted them arrive and yelled, 'Fancy seeing y'all here!'

He proceeded to hug them all and had even struck up a conversation with Surge- one that sounded dangerously close to flirting- until Megan noticed Trance's limp body in Elsa's arms. (Surge had dumped Trance to her once Match had greeted them.)

Once Elsa had explained what had happened to the two who hadn't been present at the fight, Megan swiftly leaned in to help hoist Trance onto a stretcher and Match promptly punched Surge full in the face.

Which brings us to present time.

'Teach you to mess with my team,' Match huffed, caressing his knuckles while Surge squirmed on the floor at his feet, clutching her nose and wailing as she attempted to stem the blood flow.

'I'll get you, you little shit,' she cursed, legs flailing in a desperate attempt to trip the boy over.

'Quit it you two!' Megan admonished as she flitted around the white room, searching for something to bring Trance back to consciousness with.

'Could I be of any help?' Elsa asked softly.

'Sure,' Megan smiled, tossing waves of purple hair over her shoulder. 'You mind getting a little ice for her head?'

'She didn't hit her head,' Elsa pointed out.

'Yes, but the cold will help rouse her consciousness,' Megan replied calmly.

'Really?'

'No, I just made that up. But it wont hurt to try,' the other beamed, before unfurling her wings and swooping out the sick bay.

Sighing, Elsa stepped closer to Trance's limp body on the stretcher and placed her fingertips on the girl's forehead. Immediately the coolness spread across her face. Her body jerked violently and her eyes snapped open. She yelped and flung herself off the bed, stumbling to the ground when her feet refused to carry her weight.

Match hurried to her side, aiding her before she collapsed.

'Hate- hate the cold,' she whined. 'What happened? My head hurts like hell.'

Elsa saw Surge inch towards the exit.

'You passed out,' the pale blond said simply, with an apologetic shrug.

'Urghh,' Trance groaned. 'I think I'm going to retch.'

Match hastily guided her to the bathroom in the sick bay. No sooner he had left, Megan returned, with a brown haired woman trailing behind her. The lady was dressed in a different body suit, much similar to the others' but completely black, with a yellow leather jacket shrouding her shoulders. Her hair fell to her elbows in luscious waves and swayed from side to side as she walked into the sick bay, confidence in her stride.

Something told Elsa that this was the Kitty Pryde she had yet to meet.

'Elsa,' the woman said in acknowledgement of the blond. 'You must be properly confused. I apologize for not being able to meet with you earlier- I had to handle some financial problems, I expected Angel to take care of you. Obviously my expectations of him are far too great.'

Her lips twitched to show her irritation. 'Also, these three don't seem capable to handle you either, so if you have no objections, I would like you to follow me now.'

Elsa looked to Megan and the girl nodded in encouragement.

'Lead the way,' she sighed and followed the older woman out of the sick bay.

'Don't worry she wont eat you,' Megan whispered as they passed on their way out. 'I'll meet you in time for lunch.'

And with that, the door to the sickbay shut behind her and Elsa was left with the woman in black.

'My name is Katherine Pryde and I'm the Headmistress here,' the woman introduced herself, causing Elsa to fall into a great panic.

The _Headmistress_?! Oh good lord, what had she done?

'Don't worry,' Kitty chuckled. 'You're not in trouble… yet. I'm just here to welcome you to the school. Have you considered our offer?'

Elsa frowned at her shoes. 'I'm working on it.'

'Good,' Kitty said, a small smile playing on her lips. 'Do you have any questions then? I can tell you're bursting.'

Elsa's mind leapt to attention- oh the questions she had.

'How is it so warm inside?' she asked, hurriedly.

_Huh… warm up question. _

'Hank our technical assistor handles that. I believe it is his doing. Is that all?'

_Heck no, lady. There's plenty more where that came from._

'Where are all the other students?'

'They're in their respective classes. Students here study subjects ranging from Languages and Cultures, to Encryption and Hacking, to basic gym and land training, the martial arts and of course, Self Identification. Its compulsory for all students- helps them come to terms with their own abilities and teaches them how to control it and nurture it.'

'What's the Danger Room for?'

Kitty paused, licking her lips as she phrased her answer in her head. 'Well, we as mutants must constantly be vigil and aware of the threat looming above us. Humans have always disagreed with our kind and then we have Magneto and his ideals making matters worse. This school was target for many attacks over the course of time. The students we have left are only a fragment of what we used to have. Let it be known, the School isn't the safest place- but let it also be known that it is the only safe place out there for mutants and mutant lovers alike. Right now, we're struggling to reform the X-men. We already have the Hellions battling Magneto's approaches in Seattle. He's been rather active lately…,' the woman trailed off wearily, eyes fluttering with exhaustion.

She looked as if the life had been drained out of her.

'The Danger Room is where mutants we consider ready for battle will train. It has simulations of what an attack would be in reality. Usually Wolverine watches over the training sessions from the Control Booth, but he's been away for over a week now, on a mission even I no nothing of. X refused to tell anyone but him.'

Elsa nodded slowly, wondering what has spurred this extra information to leak out. Maybe the Headmistress desperately needed someone to talk to- she looked stressed and weary.

'Are Meg- I mean Pixie and the others preparing for this battle?' Elsa asked, tentatively.

'Everyone on this campus is preparing for the inevitable battle. Pixie and the Paragons are training for something more imminent. If Magneto's advances in Seattle aren't dealt with by the end of the month, the Hellions will need back up.'

'Who are the Paragons?'

'They used to be a team of five, top of their class back in the day,' Kitty smiled wistfully. 'Now there are only three of them left: Match, Trance and Pixie.'

'Where do I fit in all of this?' Elsa mused aloud, not expecting an answer.

The two reached a pair of giant oak doors, behind which lay the cafeteria, according to a plaque on the wall beside the entrance.

'You, my dear Elsa, are a very, very powerful girl. God knows what you could achieve once you've controlled your powers. We're not entirely sure what your role may be in all of this- but if you successfully manage to control and tap into your powers, you just might find yourself becoming useful around here.'

With a small smile and a pat to the youngster's shoulder, Kitty Pryde turned around and walked straight through a wall.

* * *

a/n: so there we are, chapter 5 :P

*phew* that took a while, there were way too many questions and doubts to be clarified. i know many of you might be hard core xmen fans so i'm gonna give it to you straight- this version of x-men exists in my own paradime which i created by choosing and picking a few of the actual events in the xmen comics. since the timeline for the xmen fluctuates so much it was hard to pin point a specific time period for this story. the school itself is destroyed many times, new schools are built with different administration, staff and students each time.

this version is mostly post M-day (check out more about it on the Marvel Database) when the student count dropped from 180 something to 27. the remaining students are the "survivors" and they were teamed up into "squads". (Paragon and Hellions) they're called the New X-men: they're young and energetic and i thought Elsa would fit in perfectly.

however i retained Prof.X and Wolverine and Kitty because i everyone loves them :3

if you want to know more about M-day and the New X-men check out this link: New_X-Men_(Earth-616)

if you have any questions, critical comments or praise, feel free to leave a review :3

fave and follow- more chapters coming your way :)

these characters are really intriguing- Pixie, Trance and Surge are so so cool, i hope to god i'm portraying them well :/ so tell me how i'm doing- REVIEEEWW 3


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: these characters aren't mine (sadly) they belong to Marvel and Disney. you can read the story and fave/follow/review though :P no one's objecting to that :3**

**huehuehue **

* * *

It was called 'phasing' and that was Kitty's ability. She could phase through any sort of surface as far Match's knowledge went, but even that was enough to shock Elsa into awe.

'So… she can like go through anything?' she asked for what might have been the fiftieth time.

'Yes.'

'Like… _anything_?' she repeated.

'Ye-es,' Megan sighed, seemingly tired of this exercise.

'Wow. So nothing stands in her way?' Elsa mused aloud.

Megan refused to dignify that with an answer. Instead, she reached across the table and shoved her coffee in Match's face, interrupting an intense conversation that had been going on for the past hour between him and Surge.

'Heat this up for me will ya?' Megan asked politely.

'Heck woman, watch where you throw your stuff around,' Match winced, plucking the plastic container out of her grasp.

His hand glowed bright red, emanating wisps of steam and then returned to its normal shade of tan. He tossed the cup into the air for good measure and then returned it to its owner.

'Nice and warm,' he said proudly, before turning quickly to the blue haired girl beside him and resuming their discussion.

'They're so into each other,' Trance whispered, not-so-subtly.

'You're lucky those two are so absorbed with each other they've gone half deaf,' Megan hissed. 'If Surge hears that she'll electrocute you to next Sunday and back.'

'I'll electrocute who?' Surge asked immediately, as if sensing an unannounced cue.

Elsa clamped a hand across her grinning face. Things were gonna get ugly and she didn't need a psychic to tell her that.

'Uhm,' Megan floundered, flapping her arms as she searched for a lie. 'We're just saying… that you would electrocute- I mean we _wish_ you'd electrocute Hellion, because he's such an ass.'

There was silence around the table, before Trance caught on and added to the story with a confident 'Yes'.

Surge practically ate the cover-up without a single doubt and launched into a massive, expressive speech about how much she despised Hellion and his 'cronies'- as she called the rest of his team.

'Who exactly is this guy?' Elsa asked tentatively, eyeing Surge and her increasingly reddening face.

'HOW does she not know who he is?!' she shrieked.

'I- I'm new,' Elsa said in a whisper.

'Cut her some slack, Surge,' Megan snapped, while Match explained; 'Hellion's the best student on campus right now. He's a first class high-level telekinetic- the best of the lot.'

'Not to mention, he's really good looking,' Megan interjected, sheepishly.

'Fraternizing with the enemyyyy!' Surge exclaimed, throwing her arm across the table wildly, to point at the purple haired girl.

'Everyone loves him,' Match huffed, and Elsa could swear she saw flames flicker across his nearly-bald scalp.

'He's such a show-off and he's so full of himself,' Trance spat. 'Ever since they chucked him in the Hellions- bloody team is named after him, the prat! -he started acting like he was king, kicking us all around like he was head prefect or something. We don't even _have_ prefects.'

'Aren't the Hellions in Seattle?' Elsa asked, remembering what Kitty had told her.

'Yeah,' Match confirmed. 'They landed some fancy-ass mission a while ago. We haven't seen them in ages.'

'And that's a _good_ thing,' Surge added with fury in her eyes.

The blue haired girl stood abruptly and after grumbling a few goodbyes, left the hall with her coffee in hand, brown coat whirling around her slim frame.

'What's got her so riled up?' Elsa ventured, waiting until the girl in question was fully out of earshot.

'Who- Surge?' Match asked.

'She's always hated Hellion,' Trance piqued up. 'She says it's because of his attitude and ego, but I say she's just jealous.'

Megan made a face at that. 'What no, she's anything but.'

'Surge ain't jealous of nobody,' Match added, frowning slightly.

'Aw, look at you defending her,' Megan cooed.

'Shut it,' Match glowered, head bursting into flames.

Trance rolled her eyes, completely oblivious to Elsa's horrified expression.

'You know Surge was once a leader just like him, right? Just after M-day, Miss Frost had to reconstruct the x-men so she got all of the remaining students to fight,' Trance explained, mostly for Elsa's benefit than anyone else's.

'Then, she chose the best few, the one's left standing. Surge was one of them and so was Hellion. They were like the new x-men team. After a while they even let Pixie on it. But the battles become tougher and not everyone could handle it,' Trance trailed off, a glazed look clouding her eyes.

'A lot of people died,' Megan added quietly. 'Surge couldn't control her powers anymore. She almost lost it when Quill died. Her emotions went all haywire and she electrocuted _everything._'

Elsa gasped, startled. 'Her emotions control her powers?'

'Uhm, sort of I guess. Most elementals' emotions are linked to their abilities. Well come to think of it, all our abilities are linked to our emotions and feelings,' Megan mused.

'So _that's_ why Match's head catches fire when he's embarrassed- it's his equivalent to blushing!' Trance crowed, leaping from her seat before the boy across from her could cause her any harm.

'I'll get you, you little wretch!' Match growled, chasing after the small made girl.

'It shouldn't be that way though,' Megan said quietly.

Elsa shifted in her seat to face her new-found friend. 'What are you talking about?'

'It shouldn't work like that- our emotions shouldn't control our abilities. Everyone here expects us all to have control over our emotions… but sometimes its just too hard,' Megan paused, shakily. 'Lucky me I don't have 'powers' like you guys. I'm just weird.'

Elsa felt a tugging at her stomach; she could relate all too well with Surge. It was almost as if everyone here felt her pain, they understood her dilemma. They were going through the same thing she was.

A warm fuzzy feeling crept up her toes and crawled into her heart. She wasn't alone. Of course she'd realized that the moment the professor had told her about the mutant race, but now it felt more real, hearing about their problems and being able to relate. It made her feel… at home.

'But now she's okay I guess,' Megan was saying. 'They got her a pair of fancy gauntlets that help keep her electrical charges at optimum levels. So now she doesn't fry everything in the Danger Room.'

She ended her sentence with a small chuckle, shaking her head so that loose curls of pink hair tumbled out of the topknot she had tied haphazardly at the beginning of lunch break.

'Surge trains in the Danger Room as well?' Elsa asked, curious to find out more about the intriguing room with all its mysterious training technologies.

'Yep,' Megan replied, popping the 'p'. 'She trains there sometimes.'

Elsa sat back, contemplating if she could somehow sneak in there with the blue haired girl. The room had piqued her curiosity and now she couldn't resist it.

'Shall we get going then?' Megan asked, rising to her feet. 'Lunch is almost over.'

Sure enough the amount of students in the hall had lessened to a meager five or six.

'Well, what do you have now?' Elsa queried, as the two of them walked the corridors together, the pale blond and the violet-haired- both very much similar to characters out of a Japanese manga.

'Guess it's your lucky day,' Megan smirked.

'I kinda figured that out when a dude with wings abducted me and brought me to a school full of mutants who spend their whole day kicking each others' asses,' Elsa drawled, jokingly.

Megan laughed aloud, tossing her violet waves around as she did so.

'Yeah well your day just got better,' she smiled, once her laughter died out. 'We're having Self Identification next.'

'What's that?' Elsa asked, crinkling her nose.

'It's the best subject ever. Everyone loves it… you'll see why soon enough.'

And with that, Megan unfurled her wings, snatched Elsa by the forearm, and flew them to the campus field.

* * *

'Where'd all the snow go?' Elsa asked, once they landed on the grounds behind the school buildings.

'Hank probably has some snow melting technical gadget thing somewhere,' Megan answered, shrugging it off.

Around twenty other students were milling about the field, most of them in the typical black body suit, others in the yellow and black ones that Megan, Trance and Match had on. Majority of the students _looked_ normal enough, but some of them didn't even have a shred of human skin. A small reptilian boy (_was_ it even a boy? Elsa had no clue) was wrestling a girl with straight raven black hair that was cropped short around her face. She kicked at him a few times, but when he didn't budge she released some sort of energy field around herself. It coated her arms and feet in a pinkish glow and when she curled her fingers into a fist, the field around her arm mimicked her actions and made an even bigger fist. The energy field fist connected squarely on the reptile boy's jaw, sending him spiraling through the air and into a group of three girls who looked _exactly_ alike.

Elsa couldn't help a gasp escape her lips.

'That's Armor,' Megan whispered, pointing at the black haired girl with the glowing pink shield.

'What does she do?' Elsa whispered back.

'Her name's pretty self explanatory. She's got psionic armor.'

'Hmm,' Elsa decided to skip on the details. 'And the lizard-boy, what about him?'

Megan laughed. 'That's Anole, he's got reptile features.'

'And that girl over there? With the… that thing around her face?'

'Blindfold? Yeah she was born without eyes or eye sockets.'

'Ohmygosh _what_?!'

'She's psychic and telepathic.'

'But she has no _eyes_?'

'That girl over there is Oya.'

'She. Has. No. Eyes.'

'Oya's left hand controls fire and her right hand can extinguish it… like water. Or was it the other way around? I forget.'

'No eyes!'

'Who's got no eyes?' Surge interrupted, popping up between them suddenly.

'Blindfold, who else?' Megan answered in a harsh whisper. 'Be quiet about it, its rude to shout things like that.'

Surge shrugged indifferently.

'You ready for the lesson?' Megan asked her friend.

Surge just shrugged again.

'Let's just say that if that Bling decides to hammer me again she won't be able to walk straight for the rest of her life,' the blue haired girl said with a malicious grin.

Megan sighed in response and tugged Elsa behind her as the class slowly congregated at the center of the field.

'Try not to stare too much at Karma, she gets pissed easily,' Megan advised.

Before Elsa could even ask her who this 'Karma' was- a casual voice echoed across the field, interrupting her.

'Welcome, class! First lesson of the week, you know how it goes!'

A figure cloaked in a brown coat that brushed his heels stepped to the center of the crowd. He had a fedora pulled low over his auburn hair that stuck out from around the hat in spikes. A pair of Ray bans shaded his eyes from view and in his left hand he twirled around an ornate walking stick. He didn't look as if he needed one.

Neither did he need the shades.

Or the hat.

It wasn't sunny- it was the middle of December. But that being said, Elsa realized that the weather within the confines of the school seemed more like spring. She decided it had something to do with the mysterious Hank.

The teacher in the dramatic coat danced from foot to foot, examining his students.

'You there- Armor, yes you- you put up a rather bad show last time. Let's see you go against… umm… -Surge.'

The blue haired girl crowed in joy as she skipped to the center of the field.

The girl nicknamed Armor didn't seem that enthusiastic.

'You know the drill! Everyone back away from the fight circle- the safety bubble will automatically engage. Why am I even saying all this stuff? We've been doing this for years,' the man in the fedora sighed and leaned against his stick.

No sooner had the remaining students made enough space for the fight circle, a transparent wall rose from the ground to enclose them in some sort of … _bubble_.

'Gambit is the only teacher who lets us fight during lessons,' Megan said from next to Elsa.

_So that's what his name was._ Gambit. _As dramatic as his character._  
Surge and Armor circled each other in the ring, menacingly. The raven haired girl squinted at her rival, Asian features twisted into a grimace, fists already coated with psionic shields. The pink energy made a fist three times bigger than her own. She growled low in her throat as she stalked the other girl.

Surge looked as if she was walking into a party. She had an infuriating smirk plastered across her face and she strolled with a slow gait, soft chuckles escaping her lips. But even though she maintained a calm outward appearance, her stance indicated awareness. She moved nimbly, in a slight crouch, arms low beside her knees. She had two large high-tech gauntlets strapped onto her forearm, encasing her limbs from the elbow to her knuckles. Blue crackles of light danced along the surface of the gauntlets, signaling that she was ready to attack.

With a roar, Armor charged, swinging a massive psionic fist as her opponent. Surge ducked the predictable move and shoved the other girl in the back, harshly.

She didn't forget to give her a little parting gift.

Jolts of electricity sparked as they clashed with Armor's shield, but it didn't throw her off. The black haired girl was back at Surge, throwing punches faster than the other could defend her self. Surge shrank back into a defensive position, while the crowd screamed out for more action.

The teacher- Gambit- didn't look impressed. 'You can't cower before Magneto,' he snapped, tapping his ornate stick against his shoe.

Megan looked distressed. 'What _is_ that woman doing?' she asked nobody in particular.

Elsa stayed silent and watched the fight closely.

Surge was back on her feet, bouncing on her toes, deflecting Armor's flying fists with her gauntlets. Each time they'd touch, sparks would fly across the psionic armor.

Surge stuck her foot out unexpectedly, tripping Armor and sending her crashing to the floor. In an instant Surge was straddling her, sending wave after wave of electrical energy into the pink shields that protected her adversary.

Armor shuddered within her energy shields and slammed a massive fist into Surge's face, sending her sprawling back into the grass. Lifting herself to her feet, Armor stalked toward the blue haired other, determination in her eyes. Surge scrambled backwards as fast as she could, trying her best to escape the oncoming onslaught. Armor suddenly lunged towards her prey, psionic shields extended to mimic a fist the size of her whole frame.

Elsa nearly squeezed her eyes shut in fear. Megan shrieked beside her. The crowds went wild.

At the last second, Surge pulled away, rolling across the ring and Armor's fist collided with the walls of the safety shield. Psionic energy met with energy of a similar kind, creating a ripple effect. Armor's shields faltered for a heart beat- but that was the window Surge had been waiting for.

The blue haired girl thrust her arms before her, letting loose continuous blasts of electricity at her opponent.

Blue crackles of electric energy surged across every inch of Armor's body, sending her into convulsions and spasms so strong that she broke a femur in the process. The loud snap of bone resonated in the ears of the on-lookers, spurring Gambit into action. He slipped through the safety shield and tried to get Surge's attention.

'That's enough, Surge,' he yelled, over the crowd's cheers and Armor's piercing screams. 'Let it go.'

Surge was captivated. Her face and eyes glowed blue and she was centimeters off the ground, hovering in the air as electric pulses flowed through her body and spat out of the gauntlets attached to her arms.

'SURGE!' Gambit shouted, charging towards the girl and tackling her to the ground before her attack on Armor caused any serious harm.

The electricity dancing along her skin immediately latched onto the teacher, rippling through him, causing him to groan in pain.

Megan had stopped squealing and was straining to rush to her friend's aid. The rest of the class was moaning about the abrupt end Gambit had put to the fight.

Surge got to her feet, shakily, refusing to meet her teacher's eyes in fear of receiving the consequences for her unbridled assault.

However, Gambit only gazed upon Armor's writhing form on the ground, nodded his appreciation for Surge's offensive skills and walked back out of the circle.

'Listen up kids,' he called, motioning for the class to calm down. 'There is a war coming. And in this war, there's not gonna be anyone to watch your back. Your teacher's aren't going to be able to save you. It's kill or be killed and you need to decide which you're gonna do- and fast. Let's get serious about this, shall we? After all,' he smirked, knowingly. 'You only die once.'

The class shuffled their feet restlessly, already eager to see who would have to endure embarrassment and fight next.

'Hmm, how about this- let's have Bling up here. Transonic? You too.'

As the cheers drowned Gambit's next words out, Elsa took deep calming breaths to still her pounding heart. Surge was panting beside Megan and herself, blue hair sticking to her face along with perspiration. Armor was nowhere to be seen.

The next fight began; the participants circled each other warily. The class cheered in anticipation while Megan pouted to herself about the '_lack of necessary safety measures_'. Surge didn't seem to be paying attention; seated on the grass nursing a gash on her chin. Blood seeped through the wound and dribbled down her face, pooling in the hollow where her collarbones met.

Elsa had to gulp down another breath of fresh air to calm her jittery nerves. _This _was what this world really was like. It was more than fun and games. It wasn't merely teenagers running around flashing their abilities to fly, control fire, etc, etc.

It was dangerous, it was hazardous, it was crazy, and it was a threat to life. The mortality rate of this school must be lower than the Elsa's self confidence.

At any rate, joining this school was no joke… and at this very moment of realization, Elsa wasn't too sure she wanted to.

* * *

a/n: you guys don't know how _close _i was to making Elsa fight instead of Armor _ blehh but then i decided it was too much for one chapter, plus they couldn't beat up the new kid. i threw in a lot of x-men here to satisfy the fans (i'm sorry for dragging it out so much) and as i said before this is post M-day.. so there's only very few mutants left in school.

fave, follow and review my lovelies :3 give me something to look forward to when i stay up writing chapters for y'all. don't worry it doesnt have to be all nice and fluffy.. leave some critical comments/ questions.. anything.

**p.s:** i'm in the middle of exams (sigh a levels) so i miiight not post a chapter a day as i always do for the rest of this week. expect more on Monday :) sorry about it :/

real life sucks.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: these characters don't belong to meee :/ as much as i want to own Surge... she and the others are owned by either Marvel or Disney. #sadlyf you can read review and fave and follow- no one's objecting to that :P have fun. **

**thank you to all the lovely reviews. i took several of them into consideration... yeah imma just continue this in the actual a/n. **

**ManfredsAwesomeAdmin95 you're so cool your reviews made my day 3 **

**read away dearest fans!**

* * *

Darkness rolled in around four 'O clock, shrouding the school in its embrace, causing the pillars to throw nasty shadows down the lengths of the corridors. Cold wintry air whistled past the buildings, but the warmth within the walls still remained. Students filed out of the hall after dinner, exhausted after a grueling day of hard work, studies and training. Many still had scars reminding them of events from earlier in the day, but that didn't stop them from breaking out into an occasional brawl. Every now and then two or more mutants would attack each other over a trivial detail or nothing at all, crashing into the walls and rolling across the lawn, clothes catching on fire and tufts of grass blasting into the air.

Armor was still in the sick bay, receiving treatment for her broken leg. Surge showed no remorse nor pity for her opponent and smiled smugly to herself when the other girl's predicament was announced at dinner. Kitty had been present for dinner, along with a large furry blue… _thing_ with massive hands and feet, dressed in a suit whose name was Hank- the mysterious technician.

Dinner had been reasonable; fresh vegetables with roast beef and garlic bead and potato salad. Match had involuntarily set fire to his carrots and resulted in nearly half their table melting to the ground. Surge and Megan had also fought repetitively over whether Julian- who was nicknamed Hellion, yes the bad boy- was worthy of being deemed good looking. Megan, of course, fought for his handsome face and Surge bitched about his attitude and terribly overpowering ego.

The rest of dinner had gone rather smoothly, except one student nearly died choking on a rock that had been slipped into his salad.

He was still in the sick bay too.

* * *

Elsa strolled across the front lawn, eyes riveted towards the stars hidden deep beneath the heavy clouds of grey. She tried her best to drown out the sounds of cheerful mutants rejoicing the end of the day, but it was difficult especially since they were only a few feet away. Megan made her way towards the blond, a grin lighting her face as she neared.

'Hey,' she called, with a wave. 'You okay out here?'

Elsa answered affirmative.

'Have we weirded you out yet?' the purple-haired girl joked, nudging the other in the arm.

'I'd say you managed that successfully,' Elsa smirked, watching as Megan broke into laughter. 'Angel's not back yet.'

'Yeah,' she replied. 'Sometimes recruit work takes a few days. You took about three I presume.'

'I thought I was going crazy,' Elsa chuckled.

The two endured an amiable silence for a few prolonged minutes, but Elsa could tell there was something bothering the other.

'Megan?' she asked.

'Yup?'

Megan popped the 'p'.

Again.

'You got anything on your mind?' she ventured.

The younger girl frowned slightly before relenting. 'Well yeah. I wanted to know what your decision was. Not that I'm rushing you or anything- but it would be great if you said yes. NOT that I'm trying to force you into staying, or guilt trip you or- anything. I just… want to know,' Megan trailed off lamely, head hung in shame for all the errors she'd made.

Elsa smiled wryly at her new friend.

'I'm not sure,' she answered, honestly.

Megan snapped to attention. 'So you're considering it? It's not an outright 'no'?!'

'Doesn't mean it's a 'yes',' Elsa sighed to herself, eyeing her friend carefully.

Joy lit Megan's friendly features as she reached over to hug the girl beside her.

'I knew you liked this place,' she murmured into the embrace. 'It's like home to all of us.'

Elsa just nodded.

Megan pulled back suddenly, staring deep into the blonde's clear blue eyes. 'I have someone you might want to meet.'

Elsa pulled away slightly. 'Is this person going to beat me up?'

The other laughed freely, already comfortable around her newfound friend.

'No… but I'm sure he can help you out a bit.'

Elsa frowned skeptically, but let Megan lead her around the campus in the growing twilight, racing through empty corridors till they reached the far corner of the fifth building.

'And what exactly are we doing here?' Elsa panted, bending over double to catch her breath.

'Wow, you need exercise,' Megan chuckled, standing tall with her hands on her waist, smiling as if she hadn't just run across the entire school.

Elsa just shot her a frosty glare.

'Hey, don't get all _cold_ on me,' Megan joked, wriggling her eyebrows to see if her friend got the joke.

Elsa didn't seem to appreciate the humor so the other girl quickly covered it up by explaining what they were doing in a secluded area of the school so late at night.

'We're meeting that person I told you about,' she said simply.

'And why couldn't we have all met somewhere decent? Maybe someplace warmer- wait a minute,' Elsa paused. 'This isn't some illegal rendezvous is it? Does the professor know we're here? Will we get in trouble?'

Megan made a face. 'Of course not- X knows everything… he could read our minds and stop us if we were to jump out of school or whatever. It kinda sucks.'

Elsa released a breath she'd been holding unknowingly.

'That's a relief,' she murmured, peering into the shadows around the alcove they were seated in. 'Is he here yet?'

'Can you see anyone?' Megan snapped. 'Patience, grasshopper.'

Elsa rolled her eyes and snorted.

A twig snapped a little way off from where they sat and in an instant Megan was hovering above Elsa's head, wings vibrating so fast they blurred out of sight. Her hair whipped around in the harsh wintry wind, her eyes had clouded over into a deep shade of onyx and in her right palm was a chunk of rock, resembling a broken icicle- except it was glowing a deep shade of red; wisps of pinkish smoke emanating from its surface.*

'HEY! Hey… let's calm down over there,' a voice exclaimed from the shadows. 'Hasn't anyone told you not to wield that thing around? It's _dangerous_.'

'Bobby?' Megan frowned, black eyes squinting into the darkness.

'The one and only,' said the voice, stepping forward into the light in the alcove.

Megan swooped down to throw her arms around the man's neck, shrieking his name as she clung to his shoulder.

'Bobby I'm so glad you came! We've missed you more than you can imagine!'

The man shook his head with a slight chuckle. 'I'm pretty sure I missed you guys more.'

Once Megan released the newcomer, Elsa could see that he was of a moderate height; with arms so muscled they looked sculpted onto him. His hair, a shocking blonde, stood out from his head in longish spikes making him look akin to a hedgehog.

He smiled down at Elsa with a friendly gleam in his eyes and said; 'You must be the new kid.'

'I'm Elsa,' she said, politely. 'And you are…?'

'Bobby. Or Iceman as the ladies say,' the man grinned, flexing his arms with ease.

'Stop being such a prat,' Megan rolled her eyes with a sigh. 'You've rubbed off on Match, you know?'

Bobby- or Iceman as he had called himself- laughed cheerily. 'Glad to know I've left a mark.'

'You've left more than a mark,' Megan whispered, gently landing on the floor.

Bobby's face turned forlorn, his eyebrows scrunched together across his eyes as he looked sympathetically at the younger girl. 'I had to leave, Megs. You know that.'

'Gambit's the worst teacher _ever_,' she muttered, rubbing at her eyes.

Bobby smirked at that. 'They replaced me with Remy? The little shit couldn't even tie his shoelaces back in the day.'

'You used to be an x-man?' Elsa interjected, feeling more and more lost as the conversation progressed.

Bobby smiled at her patiently. 'Yeah… but now I'm an ex X-man,' he chuckled; stopping immediately at Megan's behest. 'I used to run with the big boys- Storm, Rogue, Cyclops, Wolverine- awh man Logan was the best. Is he still around? Yeaah… but then stuff just got messy… people died… shit hit the fan and I just gave up. But we totally kicked Magneto's ass!'

'Bobbyyy,' Megan whined.

'Who are Storm and Rogue and-,' Elsa began before Bobby cut her off with a sharp gasp.

'HOW does she not know who these people are?' he exclaimed, recoiling from her in faux disgust.

Megan clicked her tongue in exasperation. 'She's NEW Bobby, that's why you're here. She's not sure if she wants to stay here… and I thought maybe you could help.'

'Me? Why not ask the professor- I'm sure he's still alive and kicking. Or Remy,' he suggested with a sly grin. 'He'll be so terrible at it.'

'Cause you're the most motivational person I know! You helped us so much, Bobby. The place was in ruins… _ruins_… after M-day; mutants had lost their powers and half of us died in that bomb blast- you were the one who helped us recover. We were so scared, so afraid… but you pulled us together. Yeah sure, X and Wolverine did lots of work around here too, but you built us up _emotionally_. PLEASE help her, Bobby.'

The blond man faltered, sadness clouding his cheerful features. 'I- I don't think I'm the same person I was.'

'Bobby-,'

'You always thought of me so highly, Megs.'

'Bobby, remember what happened in Limbo*?' Megan asked, desperately. 'Remember how broken I was? I left this place for weeks; no one knew where I was. I just wanted to disappear from the world for ever. But I remembered your words and I- literally- kicked myself in the ass. You helped all of us here more than you could ever imagine. Elsa here needs the same help Bobby. Think of her as one of us. She just needs a home.'

'This isn't a home, it's a deathtrap,' Bobby stated, flatly.

'That's for her to decide,' Megan frowned, eyeing Elsa worriedly as if she were afraid the new girl would now flee upon hearing this piece of information.

Bobby sighed, relenting to Megan's desperate pleas. 'Alright Pixie, my girl- but I ain't convincing her to stay.'

'Thankyouthankyouthankyou!' Megan screamed, jumping at her mentor and hugging him in joy.

'Okay now show her.'

'Show her what?'

'What you do.'

'Oh.'

Bobby paused, gaze flicking from Megan to Elsa, uncertainly.

'What?' the pink-haired girl asked.

Bobby flushed in the dim lighting of the alcove. 'I may have put on some weight,' He whispered, sheepishly.

Megan made a little sound in the back of her throat and whacked the man before her in his arm. 'GO. Now!'

Grinning, Bobby stepped away from the two girls and kicked off his shoes. 'I'll keep my clothes on,' he decided with a grimace.

He stood back and rolled his shoulders.

It started from his feet.

Ice, so clear that it was almost transparent, coated his bare feet and rose steadily up his legs. The bluish substance melded perfectly with the toned muscles of his calves and thighs before enveloping his hips and gliding up his chest. His clothes seemed to disappear once the ice coated it and soon enough his torso resembled something like an ice sculpture version of Michelangelo's David. His muscles looked exaggeratedly defined and sharp, once encased in the ice and his neck and face followed suit. Shards of razor sharp ice stuck out of his shoulders and elbows in clumps like dangerous extra features. His hair had frozen into spikes like icicles at the back of his head.

A literal ice man stood before them, grinning with his hands in the air above his head.

'I still got it,' he crowed with a chuckle.

'You- you can turn into ice?' Elsa stammered, her jaw dropping open in awe.

Bobby laughed- he seemed to be doing a lot of laughing- and chided her. 'Dear I'm a cryokinetic- meaning I can do all sorts of things with ice.'

Without warning he turned to Megan, who barely registered his movements, and froze her solid.

Elsa couldn't help but screech. On an impulse, her magic twitched in her bones and before she could stop herself, she'd thawed her friend out of the icy prison that she'd been in for a total of ten seconds.

Bobby spluttered gibberish as Megan slowly realized why she was dripping wet.

'You _froze_ me?!' she exclaimed.

'And you unfroze yourself?' Bobby mused, looking baffled. 'Is that the Dark magik*?'

'That was _her_,' Megan said, flatly, throwing an arm in Elsa's direction.

'She's a pyro?' he asked, referring to the mutants who had control over fire and its warmth- pyrokinetics.

'No, genius- she's just like you!' Megan sighed. 'She can do ice stuff- she _saved_ me from Them by freezing them all to death.'

'You're a cryokinetic?'

Bobby seemed stunned into shock.

Elsa squirmed under his gaze, sensitive to people's tendencies to judge her due to her past.

'Wow,' Bobby stated, simply. 'Pure wow.'

'Will you help her?' Megan asked with bated breath.

'Hell yeah- she's a mini me!'

'Bobby.'

'Yeah yeah sure, I'm also interested to see how much of herself she can unlock.'

'I'm sorry… what exactly do you mean by unlock?' Elsa interjected.

'There's many levels to anyone's mutations. Elementals have several levels to themselves. Initially, I was a snowman. Now look at this figure,' Bobby flexed his arms again. 'I made myself pure _ice._ However, most of my abilities were unlocked by other people. You just might be able to upgrade yourself on your own.'

'You really think so?' Elsa frowned.

'I'm Bobby. I _know_ so.'

'Bobbyy.'

'Let go, Megs. When did you become such a prude?'

'When did you become such a child?'

Elsa zoned out of their conversation, musing to herself about her own capabilities. Was she really strong enough to control them and refine them and _upgrade_ them?

She spun around to face Bobby and Megan, with a sudden urge to find herself- on a metaphorical level. Her magic was a part of her- it was who she was, yet she'd been suppressing it all these years, hiding it away from the public, from her family. She wanted… no, she _needed_ to let it go.

'Bobby,' she began, raising her voice to effectively interrupt the childish conversation the other two were engaged in.

Once she had their attention she continued.

'Would you mind fighting me?'

Bobby stood in silence- unsure whether to break into laughter or stare at her like she was crazy. But something in those unnerving blue eyes told him neither response was applicable.

She was serious. She wanted a fight. So he'd give her one.

Nodding slowly, much to Megan's protest, Bobby the Iceman stepped out of the alcove and into the grassy field of the campus to allow Elsa to battle him.

'Over here,' he called, stepping to a random spot in the field. 'There's a safety shield implanted somewhere here.'

Elsa followed shakily, trying her best not to allow herself to regret her decision. Her magic welled up inside her and twisted her guts sharply in anticipation. She could feel the sparks tingling in her fingers. Her lips twitched with a forbidden smile. All that pent up energy was finally going to be released. Elsa felt like crying and laughing and eating chocolate all at the same time.

She hid her grin, allowing her loose pale blond bangs to shade her face from view.

'Ready, kid' Bobby called, cautiously.

'I cannot believe this,' Megan moaned. 'X will _kill _us.'

Elsa just stalked into the circle.

Before Megan could protest further, the safety shields rose and shut the duo inside.

Bobby cracked his knuckles.

'Let's dance,' he smirked, before leaping off the ground.

In one swift motion he had created a train of ice beneath him and kept lengthening it to move himself across the circle.

Elsa nearly froze in place.

Iceman let loose a volley of ice shards, spurring her into action. She ducked and rolled before jumping to her feet and conjuring a clump of stalactites to expand just below where Iceman was hovering. The sharp stalactites cut right through his ice platform, sending him toppling to the ground, throwing ice shards wildly as he went down.

Elsa dodged the shards with ease and aimed her own volley at Iceman's form on the floor. but before the shards could reach him, a wall of ice rose from the ground and blocked them effectively. Elsa swore under her breath.

The ice wall erupted, showering hail around the circle, as Iceman hurtled at his opponent, fists coated with thick slabs of ice.

'Say hello to my friiiendss,' he drawled, dragging out the last word of the cliché about his fists, as he swung at Elsa's face.

Dropping to the ground, the young girl stuck her foot out, just as Surge had in her fight, and tripped Bobby.

The man didn't fall, but he lost his balance for a minute or so, allowing Elsa to take the advantage and send him sprawling against the safety walls with a stream of ice projecting into it. Elsa didn't relent- if she stopped now, she'd lose the upper hand. Without pausing to allow Iceman to breathe, she raised her arms to shoulder level; causing massive shards of ice rise from the ground beside her feet. In a sharp move, she lifted her hands over her head and the razor like icicles flew through the air and towards Iceman.

At the last second, he disappeared.

The ice shards clattered uselessly against the shields, where Iceman just was. Elsa stared open mouthed around the circle. Her adversary was nowhere to be seen.

A wispy cloud of bluish smoke caught the corner of her eye and before she could further investigate, the wisp formed any icy fist and struck her in the sternum- knocking the air out of her lungs and sending her skidding across the grass. The wisps solidified around the fist, to form Iceman, and the ex X-man flicked his wrist causing chains of ice to bind Elsa's arms to the ground.

'I'd call it off now,' Iceman said, walking over to her.

He had a cut that crossed his eyelids and a slice through his shoulder that looked rather serious.

'Let's end this before we accidentally hurt each other,' he chuckled, as if he wasn't already bruised.

But Elsa's magic wasn't ready to back down.

Her eyes flashed silver and the chains on her arms broke apart. She leapt towards Iceman, pirouetting through the air to catch his jaw with her spinning feet. Iceman flipped head over heels to the ground, crashing on his left shoulder, the ice there shattering.

Thunder rumbled in the sky above and sleets of hail cascaded upon them. The wind howled and the trees and grass froze instantaneously. Large icy structures resembling carnivorous teeth rose in tandem from the field- bursting through the soil and frozen grass to tower six feet into the air.

The treacherous wind whipped around Elsa's standing form, causing her platinum hair to form a halo around her head. Her eyes hadn't stopped glowing.

Bobby was at her feet, half grinning- half grimacing. The look in his face almost resembled… _pride._

Shouts and exclamations rang through the field as members of the faculty herded towards them. Bobby was already sprinting away, probably going back to where he had snuck in from.

A strong male voice in Elsa's head urged her to calm down.

It was the professor.

The winds stopped blowing and the thunder receded. The hail melted into the grass and the trees and shrubbery returned to their normal state. The massive ice protrusions gently receded into the soil, leaving gaping holes where they'd once been.

Kitty Pryde and Gambit rushed to Elsa's side, followed by Megan and another blonde haired girl around their age.

'What's going on here?' Kitty demanded, as soon as she was in earshot.

Elsa merely looked back at her.

Her body began to feel the toll of the extensive amounts of magic she'd procured. The figures before her blurred in and out of her vision.

'Someone please explain why we just experienced a freak-snow-show?' Gambit snapped, eyes tracing the field for traces of Bobby he _knew _he had sensed.

'Gambit let me handle this,' Kitty frowned, snapping the teacher out of his sudden rage.

Megan touched her friend's shoulder.

'Elsa,' she murmured. 'You're paler than ever.'

Elsa shuddered, feeling nausea twisting her insides.

'I'm fine,' she lied, flashing a twisted smile.

'We'll that wasn't helpful,' Megan muttered, looking forlorn.

'I think it worked,' Elsa whispered back. 'I- I might actually-,'

Before she could grasp Megan's arm for support, she crumpled to her knees and onto the grass.

Megan jumped to help her, crying out in concern but Kitty held her back.

'_You_ stay back here and explain this mess,' the Headmistress ordered, keeping Megan at her side. 'Husk, take Elsa to the sick bay. Get Hank down as well, she might be in a coma.'

The girl with the long strawberry blond hair- clothed in a red and yellow bodysuit with knee high yellow boots and a giant belt with an X on it around her waist- strode up to Elsa. She reached for her face and slowly tore away at her own skin until she revealed furry wolfish features. Once all her flesh had been stripped away, she'd successfully morphed into a lupine creature as dark as the night.

The animal gently took Elsa's comatose body between its jaws and bounded back towards the school, blending in with the shadows almost instantly.

Kitty regarded Megan sternly. 'Pixie, you have an awful lot of explaining to do,' the Headmistress said, glaring at her student.

She shoved the girl in the direction of the Main Building, motioning for her to go on ahead.

'Gambit,' Kitty started, turning to her fellow faculty member. 'Stay here and help Toad clean up this mess. You'll need the grounds in top shape for your classes tomorrow. Remind Hank to check on the status of the shield implants after he's done in the sick bay; some of them must be destroyed judging by the state of the field.'

With that, the Headmistress turned and headed for her office, leaving Gambit behind to be swallowed by the ever-darkening shadows of the night.

* * *

Bright lights forced Elsa awake, burning through her closed eyelids and pounding into her brain. An uncomfortable twitch had set in her left thigh and her neck felt like as if it had been snapped and taped back onto her shoulders.

An IV stuck out of her wrist, its tube allowing a strange bluish gel-like substance to enter her body.

A large lamp hung overhead, bathing her in its sharp white glow.

Wires were attached to her temples and chest, trailing off the stretcher and across the floor to reveal that she was connected to a large flat-screen computer hoisted against the wall. A tall furry man in a suit stood before it, fingers cupping his chin as he scrutinized the screen. His eyes flicked towards her when the computer alerted him of her consciousness.

'Are you alright?' he asked, his voice resembling a deep rumbling sound- like a friendly volcano.

He was the technician extraordinaire whom they called Hank.

Elsa tried to answer him, but her face wouldn't respond. She couldn't even feel her toes.

'Oh, sorry my bad,' Hank apologized, hurrying disconnect the IV in her wrist.

Slowly, Elsa regained control of her limbs. She bent her finger and curled her toes. In a matter of minutes she was able to wriggle her feet and flex her arms. In a few more minutes, her face woke from its stupor and she could move her lips again.

'Thank you,' she whispered hoarsely.

Hank merely smiled.

He disconnected her from the computer, talking freely as he did so. 'Your cells just suffered Extreme Kinetic Stress Release; it happens when there is an excessive loss of magical energy- or any energy for that matter. It generally results in exhaustion, but you nearly caused a snow storm, so I suppose the coma wasn't a surprise. You'll be able to leave the sick bay by the morning. Just rest here until your energy returns. I'll call Pixie in now, she's been waiting outside for a while.'

Hank slipped through the exit and returned with a worried looking Megan.

Her eyes had gone back to their full black state, making her look sinister. She would've pulled off the look if it weren't for the forlorn look upon her features.

And the pink hair.

Elsa smiled wearily as her friend approached, crying out in concern and dismay.

'You look terrible! Are you alright? Can you move? Nod if you can hear me. Actually no, you must rest. Just blink,' Megan said without taking a breath between her sentences.

Elsa chuckled lowly.

'I'll be fine,' she croaked, tilting her head with caution.

'I'll stay here with you,' Megan offered. 'At least until you fall asleep.'

She pulled up a chair and sat next to the stretcher. Hank left them to their own devices, after double-checking something on the computer and administering a vaccine full of orange liquid into the vein in Elsa's arm.

'What was that for?' Megan asked.

Elsa shook her head; she had no clue.

They sat in silence for a full five minutes before Megan cleared her throat.

'Look, Elsa I'm sorry. I've ruined everything, I got us into trouble. This is all my fault,' she began. 'And if you don't want to stay, I fully understand. Heck- I'll convince X to let you go if you want to. I just- please forgive me.'

The pink-haired girl peered at her friend through her loose bangs, lips pouting and eyes brimmed with tears.

Elsa nearly choked with emotion.

How she'd gotten so close to this girl, she didn't know- but something deep down inside told her that leaving wouldn't be an easy thing to do.

Not after she'd realized how much this place felt like home to her.

So pulling herself into a sitting position, Elsa struggled to face Megan properly. She took a shaky breath and prepared herself for what she had to say.

'Megan,' she rasped, with a broken smile. 'I wouldn't leave this place even if you wanted me to.'

The other girl didn't know how to respond. Her eyes turned back into their normal state of brown, reflecting her joy and confusion and sheer delight.

'So you're staying?!' she shrieked, wings propelling her across the room in wild loops and swerves.

Elsa settled back into the stretcher with a smile.

'Yeah,' she replied softly. 'I guess I am.'

* * *

**references:**

*1. A Souldagger created by the removal of a part of Pixie's soul. It's a dangerous weapon- _Quest for Magik._

*2. Pixie experienced traumatic events in Limbo (including the loss of many parts of her soul) – _Quest for Magik, X-Infernus._

*3. Dark magic replaced the hole in her soul which was left after the creation of the Souldagger- _Quest for Magik._

* * *

a/n: FINALLY its over :P phew.. i think this is the biggest chapter yet. so the a/n is gonna be a bit long.. i have quite a few stuff to take care of.

firstly: thanks for all the reviews and questions and ideas- i appreciate them all. i had been contemplating adding Iceman to the story but i was stuck wondering how to bring him in. in the comics he'd left the xmen to join the avengers and then he just retired... so i decided to make him sneak into the school at Megan's request.

secondly: how'd you guys like the fight? :3 it was tough to describe but i tried my best to make it all dramatic and stuff. review and tell me how you like it? or didn't like it? whichever.

thirdly: about Elsa's xmen name.. damn i'm stuck. you guys feel free to give me ideas about this one. i was thinking 'Reine'? its Norwegian for 'queen'... but i dunno. you guys help around for this one :P

fourthly: i added a few references to certain items/incidents which i couldn't explain within the story. random words in the body of the story with tiny stars next to them have reference notes at the end of the chapter.

and thassit :P read review fave and follow.

3


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: These characters belong to Marvel and Disney... only the plot is mine :) read follow fave and review. **

**refer to the long ass a/n for my apology :/ i'm so sorry this is such a late update. **

_Let. It. Go_.

Power coursed through her veins, filling her soul and mind, energizing each and every cell in her body leaving her buzzing on her toes. It was intoxicating- the immense potency of the magic within her nearly frightened her half to death. All she had to do was let go. The very second she processed that thought her mind threw barriers up around itself, cutting off its connection to her inner core of power. Letting go was dangerous, it could caise damage and hurt someone.

But it had been long since she had last freely used her powers, except at the fight with Bobby the Iceman.

It had been too long.

Way too long

* * *

*_flashback_*

Darkness had set in stealthily, shrouding the mansion in its shadows. Mother and Father had only just put young Elsa to bed . She was fast asleep already; innocent mind abuzz with dreams of the bedtime story she had just heard. According to the tale, _this_ nightshe wouldnt have any nightmares because the Sandman was going to protect her dreams. The man in the moon had told Mother so.

Elsa felt safe.

She was halfway through a dream about a talking snowman, when she felt a tug at the edge of her duvet. Seconds later a weight settled over Elsa's sleeping form, forcing her deeper into the mattress.

"Elsa?" asked a timid, small voice.

The blond smiled gently in her sleep. Turning on her side she mumbled, "Go back to sleep, Anna."

Her sister wailed dramatically, stretching herself along Elsa's body. "I can't! The sky is awake...so I'm awake!"

Elsa discreetly wiggled her hips so that Anna would lose her balance. The pint sized redhead toppled off her sister and onto the floor with a tiny "oomph".

Elsa sighed in content, snuggling deeper into her bed while trying to return to dreamland. The snowman had begun to tell her about how much he liked warm hugs when another tug at her duvet caused the blond to jerk from her slumber.

"C'mon Els," Anna mumbled.

Elsa was preparing to shove her sister again,when the redhead suggested something that stopped her in her tracks.

"Do you wanna build a snowmaaan?" Anna asked coyly, with a sly grin.

Elsa couldn't help but smile back.

Anna had read her mind.

The living room had been transformed into an ice palace, glittering like the stars when the light from the fireplace stuck the icy surfaces. The carpeted floor was smooth as a lake that had frozen over and the walls resembled ice towers. Elsa and Anna slid across the frozen floor, giggling and snorting in glee; occasionally shrieking as they fell on their backsides. Red with laughter, Anna commanded her sister to create snow.

"We must make a snowman now, dear sister,"she reasoned in all seriousness.

Snow flakes tumbled from the ceiling at Elsa's behest, settling in their hair and on their shoulders. Elsa summoned lumps of fluffy white snow to appear in the middle of the living room. The two set to work, stocking balls of snow upon each other to create a slightly unbalanced snowman.

"Hi, I'm... Um.. I'm Olaf and I like warm hugs," Elsa said in a false voice,moving the snowman's stick arms to pretend he was actually speaking.

Anna chortled in glee. She ran to the sofa and took a daring leap off the edge screaming, "Catch me, Olaf!"

Elsa gasped in shock and immediately created a lump of snow where she expected her sister to land. The redhead sank into the snow mound and was out of it in a second, sailing through the air again.

"Catch meeee,"she called.

Elsa continued to cushion her fall everywhere she fell using mounds of soft snow. Anna's actions became more erratic- she started jumping farther than Elsa could predict and in directions she couldn't even guess.

"Slow down," Elsa panted, a sheen of sweat covering her brows.

Suddenly something swooped before Elsa's eyes: a blur of shadow. She nearly missed where Anna would fall next.

The shadow seemed to surround them, growing till it filled the room. Something grabbed at Elsa's heart.

Panic.

She looked from side to side, calling for Anna to stop jumping. Again, she missed where he sister would fall and she caught her in the nick of time.

The shadow closed in.

_Els, don't be afraid. You can stop him._

A gentle voice rang through her head. It sounded young and boyish and Elsa was about to question where it came from,when the shadow condensed to form a large horse, flaming at its hooves and mane. Its nostrils flared and its eyes bore holes into Elsa's mind. Her heart jumped, claws tearing it apart.

Fear.

"Anna watch out!" she yelled.

The horse moved forward to snatch at Anna's nightgown with its mouth.

"Stoppit, Els,"Anna giggled.

_Elsa stop the Shadows!_

The voice was telling her to do something, but she didn't know what. Her magic welled up inside her, clouding her thoughts. Her hand shot up and aimed at the horse. Before it could turned leave with Anna, a blast of ice came hurtling in its way.

It happened too quickly.

The horse disappeared in a puff of smoke, leaving Anna suspended in the air for a millisecond. The blast of ice came into contact with her head, sending her minute form sprawling against a wall.

Elsa shrieked,calling desperately for her parents while she cradled her sister's head in her arms.

Anna's copper hair was slowly streaking white. Her body was cold as the ice around them.

_It's not your fault, Els, _the voice said softly,drowning out the sounds of the ambulance and her parents' sobs and cries of concern. _You're not alone._

* * *

"I cant do it," Elsa sighed in despair.

Gambit groaned, ruffling his red hair with one hand in distress.

"What's stopping you?" he asked,rubbing the bridge of his nose.

Elsa stayed silent.

"You've got to get over the past Elsa," he admonished almost in an impatient snarl.

Elsa took a step back,startled.

"W- who said anything about my past?" she stuttered.

Gambit rolled his eyes skyward. "We ALL have had messy background stories, kid. You're not any different. But we learned to get over them. We HAD to. Worrying about the past isn't going to help your powers improve. Ask Surge, she'll tell you how shitty it gets. You need to focus,kid," Gambit ranted, pacing in front of his newest student,tapping his cane against his shoe.

He had been training Elsa individually for over a week now. He'd put her through grueling workout sessions back to back, stealing her relaxation hours and depriving her of sleep. She woke three hours before the rest of the school, almost in sync with the rising sun,and trained hard in either land training, gym or martial arts.

Her pale form had grown considerably, taut muscles now showing on her arms and legs. Along with the muscles came the bruises, blooming like discolored poppies against every inch of her skin. Red ones... blue ones... purples blacks and greens. Elsa found less and less time to meet up with Megan- the Paragons had their own ridiculous training schedule in the Danger Room. Elsa also no longer found time to braid her hair, leaving it instead in a ponytail atop her head. The platinum blond hair had grown in length, brushing her elbows whenever she tied it up high.

For the entirety of this afternoon, she had been training with Gambit, trying to embrace her powers wholly.

_Removing barriers _he'd called it. However, every time she came close to tapping the core of power within her, the memories popped up, forcing her to back away. The voice… her sister's accident… the near death… the scary psychologists… the rehab center… the loneliness…

She had to get over it she knew that much, but it was easier said than done.

Gambit refused to believe that sentiment and only let her off after adding an extra two hours worth of training in tomorrow's schedule.

After she had eaten lunch and changed into comfortable clothing, Elsa wandered off in search of Surge. Maybe the near- psychotic blue haired girl might actually be of help somehow.

She found the other girl near a fountain.

A large structure of granite and marble stood at the center of a small secluded garden somewhere within the school premises. Large beech trees shielded the section from everything else, silencing the sounds from the school and filtered the rays of sunlight coming through, resulting in the area being dimly lit. The fountain looked mystical, fresh crystal clear water bubbling and frothing within it.

Surge sat on its base, legs inside the pond circling the fountain, splashing its waters gently. Sparks of electricity crackled across the water randomly, as if she wasn't concentrating.

'Surge?' Elsa ventured, tentatively.

The other girl jumped, whipping her head around so fast her neck nearly snapped. 'Who's there?' she spat, electrical pulses throbbing at her palms.

'WOAH!' Elsa exclaimed, raising her hands in defense. 'It's just me!'

Surge calmed down a bit, rolling her eyes as the blond neared her. 'You scared the living shit out of me.'

'I'll take that as a compliment,' Elsa smirked. 'No one ever scares you.'

Surge just growled.

'What's up? Shouldn't you be in the Danger Room?' Elsa asked.

Surge huffed. 'If you're here to tell me what to do, then I suggest that you go because that's not gonna happen.'

Elsa chuckled. 'I'm not here for that,' she said in what she hoped was an assuring way.

'I hope you're not here to gossip either,' Surge mumbled, pushing strands of blue hair out of her eyes. 'I'm not the best person for "girl talk". Go find Megan.'

Elsa laughed at that. 'I'm not here to gossip or send you back to training,' she said slowly. 'I- I need help.'

Surge looked up at her through her bangs. She didn't say anything, silently urging Elsa to go on.

'I can't do what Gambit wants me to do- it's too much. He talks about getting rid of the past like as if it's as easy as tying my shoelaces… but it's not. I can't. And everything is getting in the way of training. I can't train for fights if I can't even connect with my powers properly,' Elsa explained, torrents of words tumbling out of her mouth.

Surge frowned slightly. 'Firstly it's _abilities_- not powers. Powers make it sound like we're magical,' she huffed again. 'Secondly, I know it isn't easy, I've been there… done that.'

'You got over it?' Elsa asked.

'Heck yeah,' Surge yawned, stretching her legs in the pond, frightening the fish. 'Took forever though… a lot of shit went down when I was little.'

Elsa must have been looking expectantly at her, waiting to hear more, because Surge shut up immediately. 'You aren't getting details you know that right?' she snapped.

Elsa withdrew hastily, confused from the sudden hostility. 'Yeah, of course. I just… needed someone to talk to.'

'Then find Megan like I told you,' Surge said flatly, turning back to face the fountain in the center of the pond.

Elsa took to her feet slowly, understanding the fact that she was unwelcome. She silently made it to the hallways connecting the school buildings and walked straight into someone's feet.

'Bleck,' she spat, shoving the sneakers from her face.

Looking up, her gaze followed the feet up the length of the legs attached to them and frowned at Megan's face. She was hovering in the air, wings beating furiously without a sound, pink hair wild around her face.

She descended gently beside her friend.

'Long time no see,' she whispered.

Elsa beamed and threw her arms around the girl before her.

'It's been too long,' she whispered back.

'You've gotten fit!'

'I've gotten bruised.'

'Look at those biceps! Those weren't there before.'

'That bruise wasn't there before either. Neither was that one… nor that.'

'O hush you look like a pro!'

'I feel like a loser.'

'Don't be silly!'

'Why are we whispering?'

Megan didn't reply. Her eyes flicked towards the direction of the fountain, her lips slanted in a grim line of concern.

'Surge is there isn't she?' the pink haired pixie asked, softer than before.

Elsa nodded, remembering the conversation they'd shared not minutes earlier.

Megan turned around to face Elsa, cheeks tinged with a slight blush. 'I overhead you guys talking,' she muttered.

Elsa didn't say anything.

'I'm sorry, Els I've been looking for her for ages, she hasn't trained for days – I'm worried she's going back,' Megan tried to explain.

'Going back to where?' Elsa asked, leading Megan away from the fountain and further down the corridors.

'Going back to _what_, is more like it. When she came here, Surge was weak,' Megan said, shaking her head. 'She couldn't handle anything- the pressure was too much. I can't tell you everything, it isn't mine to say. But everyone saw that her past still haunted her. She lost control of herself and electrocuted _everything_. She even struck Quill with a massive bolt. He went into a coma. She nearly went psycho. It took her months to recover, even with Bobby's help. She ran away twice.'

Elsa looked at her feet. She'd never expected Surge to have been in such a state. She seemed so bad ass… she was the strongest link in the team in Elsa's opinion. She never broke under training pressure, she always found away to joke about her injuries and make the others feel better. Her hair only cemented her personality as a rebel.

But they were all the same.

Strip away the shells, the walls of insecurity, the lies and the facades and you'd eventually find that mutants were so very similar to each other- right down to the bone.

This scared Elsa as much as it warmed her. This place was soon to hold a special place in her heart and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing. Something told her that making friends and creating ties would only make the upcoming war much worse to handle- but Elsa couldn't keep away from the Paragons.

They'd become like family to her- along with Kitty Pryde, Hank, Professor X and the rest of the students.

Except for Gambit. She didn't feel warm towards him. He was too much of a self-obsessed prat to be loved and respected. Every training session with him made Elsa crave for Bobby's helpful words and advice. She would give her left leg to train with Bobby.

The Iceman was such a cool dude- no pun intended.

Elsa trudged back to the dorm she shared with Megan and crashed upon the bed, sighing deeply as the mattress and duvet caved beneath her weight.

'Look who's here we haven't seen you in ages!' a male voice exclaimed. 'Gotten too cool have we?'

Elsa threw a pillow in the direction of the voice, smirking in satisfaction when she heard it collide with the speaker.

Megan laughed and whacked Match on the arm. 'Watch who you're insulting, she just might freeze you to death.'

Elsa laughed maniacally, imitating the 'evil laughs' villains in movies always used.

'Evil isn't a good color on you, Icegirl,' Match muttered, settling himself at the foot of the bed. 'Speaking of which, what's your mutant name gonna be? Oh I know- Snowgloop!'

'What's the fun sucker doing here?' Elsa asked her roommate, pointing at the boy beside her.

Megan blushed furiously, her skin turning into the same shade as her hair. 'I- I thought we could all meet up cause you're back from training early, so I invited Match over.'

Elsa squinted at her friend but said nothing.

'Frostbite… no wait- Snow Woman. How about Hail? Or… _Yeti?_'

Elsa slapped her palm against her forehead. 'Please shut him up before I turn him into a popsicle.'

Mega laughed. 'You do need a mutant name you know.'

'Not one quite as bad as Yeti,' Elsa huffed.

'Stop it, Ice Queen you're becoming like Surge,' Match smirked.

Elsa punched him in the arm.

'That's the second time today! What is with you women?' the boy groaned, massaging his arm with a pout.

'How about Klaki? That's Icelandic for ice,' Megan offered, plopping herself onto a beanbag chair at the foot of the bed, closer to where Match sat.

'That sounds like a word for poo,' Match laughed. 'So I guess it fits perfectly.'

Elsa growled and smacked him with another pillow. 'Watch it mister.'

'I was thinking it should be something badass… seeing as she's following Surge's footsteps,' Match said, gesturing at the blond.

'How about Lumi? That's Finnish for snow,' Megan put in.

'Snowball, maybe.'

'Fraktal? That's Norwegian.'

'Shard.'

'Eira? That's Welsh for snowfall.'

'Eira sounds like a normal name.'

'Eira isn't a normal name!'

'Well it sounds a lot like her real name… the press could easily tie it up to Elsa.'

The girl in question froze. 'Press?' she squeaked.

'Yeah… wait, you didn't expect a mutant war to go down _without_ it being all over the news, did you?' Match asked, frowning at her like as if she'd grown an extra head.

Elsa gulped. 'So… so they'll catch us on TV?'

'If we're lucky,' Match sighed, like a boy who'd tried his best to be televised but had fallen short greatly. 'Most of the time they feature dead people and stuff being blown up or they show Julian's fucking face.'

Elsa wasn't sure how to react to his profanity.

'Will my sister see the war on the news?' she asked instead.

'Does your sister even watch the news?' Match replied flatly.

Elsa sighed. What was she to do? She couldn't be caught on TV by Anna; she'd go ballistic.

'You could wear a mask,' Match offered. 'Or a hood.'

Elsa made a face, showing her distaste for both of the ideas. 'Can't we like… I dunno, erase her memory?'

'Her memory of you?' Match asked, shocked. 'You want to do that?'

'That doesn't sound too great, does it?' Elsa murmured. 'What do I do?'

'We'll deal with that later, Flake,' Match assured her.

'I KNOW!' Megan exclaimed. 'Reine! It's Norwegian and it fits perfectly.'

As Match battled Megan about which name better suited Elsa, the girl in question zoned out of their bickering. The thought of being seen on television fighting in a mutant war didn't sit too well with her- especially if Anna were to see it. Would she get into trouble? She didn't want to think about it, but she had to figure out a solution for her problems. She couldn't run away from them anymore- just like she had to face her past. And as unsettling as it felt, it had to be done.

Steeling herself, Elsa made a promise to inform Gambit of her willingness to move on from her past- but before that she had someone else to meet.

* * *

The office was barely lit, shadows throwing themselves across the walls, dancing in tune to the flickering fire at the hearth. Elsa stole a quick glance around the room, searching for the person she needed to meet. Seeing no one, she decided to creep inside and have a look around. Besides, it was past curfew... everyone else should been asleep by now.  
She peered around the dimly lit room searching for something even she didn't know. The desk was cluttered with files and folders, barely held in place with a series of paperweights. Some resembled snow globes and others were just polished rocks. Elsa flipped through a few files, glancing at the papers withing them with disinterest. She was about to inspect the shelves full of books behind her when one folder caught her eye. It had fallen off one side of the desk and its contents were now scattered on the carpet. Among the papers she spotted a small photograph of herself.

That was her file.

Elsa's breath hitched in her throat as she crept towards the folder silently, as if it would suddenly disappear.

It had everything about her in it. Angel sure had done a good job with the researching thing. She found papers about her parents, news clipping about the accident that caused their death, an entire paper about her rehabilitation center, a pamphlet from the center, a sample of her hair (what was that for?), papers about her sister, Gerda, Kristoff and one entirely for herself and her details. It scared her how much the Professor knew. But then again, he didn't need tis file to know about her- he could just read her damn mind.

Elsa felt a little frustrated as she flipped through the rest of the file, browsing past reports from her teachers and graphs marking her progress. She was about to throw the file away in disgust- these guys had dug up every single nitty gritty detail about her life- when one paper caught her attention. it was slightly yellowed and had letters the size of ants typed in the sort of font you'd usually find in faxes. Elsa frowned at the sheet of paper as words like _voice in her head_ and _shadow horses_ and _hallucinations _and _imaginary young boy_ popped up repeatedly in random sentences. She gasped involuntarily, they knew about the voice.

The knew about everything that had happened.

Elsa stuffed the sheet back into the file and dumped the folder onto the desk. She then made a wild dash for the large oak doors, scrambling across the lush carpet.

But then something stopped her- froze her in her tracks. A deep voice resonated through her mind- and it wasn't the one from her childhood.

_Meet me in the basement, Elsa. _

The blond squeaked in terror. How stupid could she get? Had she expected to break into his office and him not know of it? X knew _everything._ If it weren't for that fact, she could've neatly run away.

_And don't even think about running away._

Elsa ran to the basement as fast as she could.

* * *

a/n: I'M SO SO SOOOO SORRYY... i just went through a series of unfortunate events- i had writer's block and then my laptop's hard drive broke and i lost all the work i'd done for Chap8 and then it all became a mess _

i'm really sorry- you guys can yell at me in the reviews i deserve it.. i promise to put up more chapters to make up for it. in the mean time- watch House :3 it's amazing.

yeah so i hope you guys can see what i just did in this chapter.. it may feel a bit boring but it has crucial hints to where this story is going :P think about it a bit. i'm not giving anymore clues.

hang on tight for the next chapter :P love you guys i'm sorry once more.

review, fave and follow? 3


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: i do not own these characters, marvel and disney do. read on, that's not illegal :P fave follow and review:3**

* * *

The basement wasn't a basement at all.

Instead, it was a large, cavernous _room_ full of wires and machinery. Lights from various technological objects flickered at tandem, illuminating the room with a strange blue glow. Wires as thick as Elsa's arms cris-crossed the stone cold floor and made their way to the center of the room. Electricity crackled along the length of the thick wires and Elsa made it a point not to step anywhere too close to them. She'd seen enough of the pain Surge's victim's went through to understand what electricity could do to someone.

The wires converged at one point in the middle of the basement, connecting themselves to a semi-circle shaped table made of shiny steel, with a complex series of buttons and switches lacing its surface. In front of the table was a large chair made of the same material as the table, making the whole setup look like something out of a sci-fi movie. Elsa cleared her throat as she neared the chair nervously, eyeing the professor who was seated there. His elbows were placed on the table before him and he held his temples in his fingers. His eyes were screwed shut and the eerie blue lights reflected off his bald head. Upon his head, was a strange claw-like structure, which encircled his skull and lit up every now and then. A strange sense of power emanated from the device, freezing Elsa in her place. It seemed to notice her presence.

_Don't be afraid of Cerebro._

The professor's voice echoed throughout the basement and seemed to echo off the walls even though Elsa knew it was just in her head.

'Cerebro?' she asked aloud.

_She has the ability to distinguish mutants from normal humans, anywhere in the world. _

'Is this the weird thing on your head?' Elsa frowned, taking in the strange device.

The professor didn't answer. He seemed to strain even further in deep concentration. He hadn't moved an inch since Elsa had entered; he still had his head in his hands and was cut off from the world _physically._

'Why am I here?' Elsa ventured, feeling more and more awkward as the silence stretched.

She was speaking to a man who was probably not even conscious about his surroundings- which basically meant she was talking to herself.

'Is this about the breaking and entering? I swear the office was open and I thought you were inside and I didn't mean to but I saw the file and it was fallen so I thought I'd just put it on the table but you know… I saw myself in it and you can hardly blame me for being curious and it's not like I learnt anything I wasn't supposed to all that information was about me and I already knew it so-,' Elsa was cut off mid-rant by the professor's gentle voice which filled her mind and made her falter.

'_What exactly did you mean when you spoke about making your sister forget?'_

Elsa's breathing hitched in her throat and she felt her lungs constrict. Oh, _that_.

'I- I honestly don't know what to do about that, sir,' she whispered, knowing that he'd hear anyway.

'_What is it that you need to do?'_

Elsa was about to reply when she realized something that made her pause and reconsider her words. The professor hadn't asked her what she wanted to do- he'd asked her what she _needed_ to do. As much as she hated to admit it, what she needed to do was far from what she wanted to. And this frightened her.

'I need… I need her to _not _know. I can't risk her finding out,' she sighed finally, after giving the question some thought.

'_And how do you suggest we go about that, m'dear?' _

Elsa wasn't sure at exactly which point a 'we' had come into this equation but she let it be. If at all, she needed all the help she could get. So she pursed her lips and thought about it hard.

'Elsa's not the type to watch the news,' she mused. 'But she'd most definitely spot me on TV if she were to ever flip channels. What happens then?'

The professor didn't say anything- just waited for her to continue.

Elsa sighed heavily. 'I was- I was wondering whether it was possible to… I dunno; make her forget about this whole thing.'

'_A mind block perhaps?'_

'What does that do?' Elsa asked, softly.

'_It protects selected memories from the reaches of her brain. Sort of like a safe.'_

'So you can make her forget that I ever came here? Or better yet, make her forget I came back from Phoenix? That way she might think I'm back at rehab.'

'_I can do that… if push comes to shove.'_

'And what's that supposed to mean?'

'_It means I'd do it only if the circumstances are such that I must.'_

Elsa huffed loudly- a trait that she'd picked up from Surge over the little time she'd been in the rebel's company.

The professor chuckled in her head, his physical form still hunched over in concentration.

Elsa felt a shiver crawl up her spine yet again. The prospect of Anna losing memory of her- even if they were only a selected few- made her feel empty and shaken. She shook her head slightly, trying to focus on anything but her problems. Her eyes flicked to the huddled figure upon the chair.

'What are you doing, sir?' she asked, tentatively.

'_Searching for more lost mutants, like yourself. The ones out there where our help cannot reach- those in Seattle for example.'_

'Seattle? Where the Hellions are battling Magneto?' Elsa said, startled.

'_Not Magneto himself, but yes, his forces. The fight goes on.'_

Elsa felt like huffing and sighing at the same time so the sound that escaped her lips came out sounding like more of a strangled hiccup.

'Is this all we had to talk about?' she asked wearily, stifling a yawn.

'_Yes.'_

The blond headed towards the door, hopping nimbly over the scattered wires. She slipped through the large doors and was prepared to sneak stealthily back into her room when she ran face first into a wall.

Only, it wasn't a wall.

'Well well, look who we have here,' said the voice belonging to the wall. 'Someone's asking for detention.'

Elsa gulped, letting herself be dragged down the darkened corridor by the arm.

'_Couldn't let you get away with breaking and entering could we?'_

And Elsa swore she felt the professor smirk.

* * *

'WHY are you late?' Gambit snapped. 'If you don't mind me asking.'

Elsa grunted an apology and marched over to the field to start her daily exercises, before the dueling ensued.

Gambit wasn't feeling nice.

'No, pray tell me,' he pressed on. 'I'd like to know why my student left me standing in this field for the past hour and half. Really, this should be an interesting story.'

'Detention,' Elsa replied huffily, in between push-ups.

Gambit nearly chortled. 'And what you been doing?' he snickered, tossing his fedora high in the air before whisking it back, dramatically.

'Sneaking around after hours,' Elsa panted, jumping to her feet. 'I'm ready.'

'For what exactly?' Gambit smirked, looking her up and down. 'Last I checked you were too caught up with your past to give a shit about training. Tell me,' at this he leaned forward conspiratorially. 'Was it as fucked up as you make it to be?'

Elsa tensed. 'Why'd you wear a waistcoat and sunglasses when it's still winter?' she asked nonchalantly.

Gambit stuttered, clearly caught off guard.

'That's none of your business,' he seethed when he gathered his wits long enough to form a coherent sentence.

'And there's my answer to your question,' the blond replied, cocking a brow and twisting her lips into a subtle smirk. 'Now shall we move on to pressing matters and train perhaps?'

Gambit didn't argue with that and for the rest of the session remained uncharacteristically silent.

They trained hard; Elsa trying her best to tap at her powers without hindrance and Gambit trying hard not to spout profanity every time she drew up short.

'C'mon kid get your head out of your… um, butt,' he urged, lamely correcting himself before he swore.

Clearly he was having trouble keeping himself in line.

Elsa was having problems of her own as she struggled to let her magic flow. The icy power buzzed at her finger tips allowing her to utilize it as she always would but erratically so- instead of the magic leaving her fluidly and comfortably, it felt as if it were being jerked out by a hook.

Ice shot at Gambit and he ducked the onslaught easily, twisting around almost instantly to aim his cards at her.

Gambit had an ability called 'molecular acceleration' which allowed him to posses control over the microscopic molecules which made up every single thing in the world, converting it from potential energy to kinetic energy. Basically, he could move stuff around wherever he wanted them to go- like telekinesis but only small objects. For example, the trusty card pack he carried around.

The queen of hearts, an ace and three jacks sped towards Elsa's face, causing her to duck and roll out of the way.

'Watch where you're throwing those, you could've hurt somebody,' she yelled, fighting back the memories and letting loose a current of hail.

'I think that's the point,' Gambit rolled his eyes, casually deflecting the hail with his cane. 'Pick it up, grandma! My dead aunt can throw up a fight better than you can.'

'I can do without the words of _encouragement_,' Elsa growled, forcing shards of ice from her fingertips.

They barely even made it towards Gambit, before his cards sliced through them and headed for her.

Grunting, she dived away from the cards and retaliated by pummeling her teacher with snow. She could hear his chuckles even though they never escaped his lips. She was losing- no, in fact she'd already LOST.

'Are you _trying_ to build a snowman?' Gambit sniggered, brushing the white substance off his suit jacket. 'Cause it ain't working.'

_Snowman…_

Elsa tensed- nearly froze in place- her eyes bulging and the vein in her forehead pulsing as her mind race. Did she want to build a snowman? The word stung her lungs and pierced her heart. She didn't want a snowman. She didn't want anything to do with one. Her mind reeled as memories surfaced, paining her further. Her magic rattled her bones so hard her limbs shook.

Gambit faltered before her, his arms outstretched as if to offer help.

Elsa didn't see him… she couldn't see him. All she saw was a room, frozen in time. Shadows twisted and turned in her peripheral view, clouding everything but the little girl on the icy floor, hair turning a ridiculous white as pensive snowflakes covered her frame in slow motion. Beside her, a snowman crumbled- its face breaking apart as the lump of snow hit the floor.

All that had happened, all the shit that went down afterwards, was all because of the stupid snowman. If only…

Did she want to build a snowman?

All these years later, she _wished_ she'd said no.

Magic burst from the deepest confines of her inner being, and as if it were breaking from unseen bonds, it coursed through her rapidly- causing her to levitate inches off the ground and harsh winds to pick up at her feet.

Heavy air whirled around her form, picking her platinum hair and tossing it around her face. Her eyes shot open and fixated themselves upon Gambit; a harsh cerulean blue instead of their usual pale hue.

The sky rumbled and thundered dangerously as she raised her arms to shoulder level, lips smirking nastily.

'Oh Gambit,' she murmured, too softly for him to hear. 'If only you'd just listened to everyone and just _shut the hell up_.'

At her last words all hell broke loose.

Cracks tore at the grounds of the field, ripping apart the soil to allow massive chunks of sharp edged ice to rise and tower above them. Hail showered upon them, whirling around her arms like a swarm of killer bees- except they were minuscule rocks as sharp as diamond. Icy tendrils lashed out from Elsa's body, her magic struggling to free itself from the bonds of her mind. The wind howled and picked up its pace, nearly throwing Gambit off his feet.

The earth rumbled as Elsa strode forward in the air, eyes focused on her prey.

'You _wish _I was turning you into a snowman,' she seethed before thrusting her arm before her, gritting her teeth as the magic left her body.

She didn't even know what form it would take, which is why she almost froze in shock when the ice released from her palm didn't head towards her target. Instead it encased her hand and traveled up her arm and within moments, had covered every inch of her body with diamond-hard ice. He fists extended into jagged ice swords the length of a katana. From her shoulders and elbows, shards of ice stuck out, making her seem all the more dangerous.

If that wasn't enough to scare anyone, the fearsome glint in her eyes would've done it.

'Well this certainly evens the playing-field' she chuckled before lashing out at her teacher with every single ounce of energy she had left.

None of his cards would be able to save him from Elsa's slashing swords of ice and her unbridled fury. She slashed at him with unrestrained anger, taking out all the suppressed emotions that had built up over the years.

The sky rumbled thunderously and spread its darkness around the entire town.

Inside her office, Kitty Pryde snapped to attention, lifting her face from her desk where she'd fallen asleep for over fifteen minutes, when she heard the sky rumbled for what seemed the hundredth time.

Glancing out the window, she spurred into action, adjusting her hair before striding out of the building. She tried to stalk over to the fight confidently but failed miserably when the frigid wind nearly froze her in place. Frost grew rapidly across her bare arms and her breath became ragged as the altitude dropped the closer she got to the fight.

_Cryokinetics_, she groaned. _Whoever said they were rare needed a high five… in the face… with a chair._

* * *

a/n: here's another chapter on time :P it's a bit short, but i'm so tired and i'm late for a party- it's getting harder to find time to write so i hope this isn't getting too disappointing. i would really appreciate it if you guys would calm down a bit. i do have a life... plus creativity cannot be rushed. i'm not a story spitting machine.. i will update whenever i damn please -,-

well, with that happy note aside :P Elsa won't be having a mask- but her mutant name is still open to suggestions. review with your criticism as long as its constructive, praise or suggestions. i'd love to hear more from you guys. please wait patiently and i'll update faster if its possible. i told you guys before i'm in the middle of exams so spare time is very rare now :P i'm studying law and it's a bitch :/

p.s- i'm bringing something huuuge into play after a few chapters ahead... just hang on for the drama :P


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: these characters are not mine... they're the mind babies of Marvel and Disney. So read, review and follow 3 **

**have fun, oh and read the a/n at the end of the chapter if you want to actively participate in the making of this story and lso if you want some explanations for the happenings of this chapter :P**

**read on, beloved fans. **

* * *

'You did _what_?!' Megan shrieked, hands flying to cup her face, cheeks flushing a deep scarlet.

The tanned, near-bald boy beside her was laughing heartily, hands wrapped around his waist as he struggled to breath in between his choked laughter. Match was so loud, even a foghorn wouldn't have been able to drown him out.

Surge sat silently in a corner, chuckling to herself as she most probably imagined the priceless expression upon Gambit's face as he fled from Elsa's swords. She nodded appreciatively at Elsa, as if thanking her for her actions towards the teacher she disliked the most.

'I kicked his ass,' Elsa repeated, dutifully, in all seriousness.

'This can_not_ be happening,' Megan moaned, dragging both palms across her cheeks, clearly mortified.

Match was beyond thrilled. He clasped the blond before him by her shoulders and pulled her close.

'This is rich!' he exclaimed. 'You've successfully passed initiation. You are now our friend.'

Megan swatted his arm and proceeded to apologize enthusiastically to Elsa so that she would understand that she'd always been their friend and that no such initiation ritual existed.

Match pouted while she did so, pointing out that Megan was the real fun sucker and not him.

The two broke into a small fight, Match wrestling the pixie to the ground, rolling her over so that he hovered above her frame, grinning wildly as he pinned her arms to the floor. Megan protested loudly, whining about his weight, while Match just laughed heartily and blew into her nose, making her sneeze. Megan struggled to her feet and shoved Match so that he fell on his bum- hard.

Surge watched them warily. 'Please don't make babies you two,' she moaned. 'This planet is already stupid as it is without your offspring.'

Megan jumped, blushing a violent scarlet and Match grinned goofily, blaming Megan saying that if they ever were to have children- which was highly unlikely- it would be _her_ fault entirely if they were stupid. this eased her into another disagreement and soon the two were snapping at each other, waving their arms around and trying to see who could come up with the better insult

'You airhead,' Match huffed.

'You hot-tempered, egotistical jerk!' Megan snapped.

'Megs won that round!' surge interrupted. 'Pick up your game, Fireboy.'

Match feigned a hurtful expression and Megan immediately started to apologize for what she'd called him.

Elsa watched their aimless banter with a small smile. Megan was the most innocent girl she'd ever come across- almost as naive as Anna used to be. Elsa refused to let the memory of her younger sister pain her. Instead she focused on the duel that had occurred between Gambit and herself, realizing that she'd accomplished everything her teacher had expected her to.

She was proud of herself to a certain extent; she'd finally released her powers from the confines of her mind and was now able to let it flow within her consistently. It felt exhilarating to be so close to her powers, to feel it coursing through her with no barriers. She'd developed the ability to create an exoskeleton of ice- just like Bobby the Iceman- which provided her with a defensive mechanism and allowed her to attack freely. She hadn't been able to conjure the ice swords after the fight, but Hank had been of the opinion that she'd only been able to do it because she'd used every single ounce of magic within her. True enough she'd been drained after the duel and slipped into a coma yet again. Gambit suffered several wounds and bruises and was still in the infirmary.

Kitty Pryde hadn't been pleased with the results of their battle. She'd detained Elsa and had punished her by making her clean up the entire field. That had proven to be far more difficult than either of them had imagined- considering the amount of damage Elsa's outburst had caused.

She had also cancelled all the lessons which included physical contact of the brutal nature (basically all those taught by Gambit) and had personally made sure every single student was safe in a class studying_ "safer"_ subjects.

Elsa was left alone once the others dispersed for their lessons, and since Kitty had relieved her of her studies for the day, she decided to wander around the school aimlessly. She hadn't explored the entirety of the campus grounds and figured that it should be time-consuming and somewhat useful. She walked by the classrooms, making faces at the students cooped up inside. If anyone had told her she'd be one of those troublemaker students who hadn't a care in the world; Elsa would've turned them into instant popsicles. But now, waltzing down the school corridors after her second detention for the week and umpteenth visit to Kitty's office- Elsa realized that there were sides to her that even she hadn't been aware of.

Pity she hadn't ever gone to a normal school… she wondered whether she would've turned out different. Ever since coming here she felt her confidence blossom, her personality embraced narcissism, cynicism and straight up honesty, after all the days spent with Surge and Match. And Megan… that girl never ceased to amaze her. It was at this point that Elsa realized that she wouldn't trade her friends for the world.

She skipped around a bend in the corridor and ran face first into a wall. This school had a bad habit of having walls where there weren't supposed to be any.

'Ow,' she mumbled, clutching her nose.

'Are you the new kid?' the voice belonging to the wall queried.

Elsa slowly traced her eyes up the figure before her, breath catching once she realized who it was.

He was over 6 feet tall, wearing plain jeans and a comfortable white tee, over which he wore a dark leather jacket. His body seemed muscular and tense beneath all his clothes- as was his face. He mouth was twisted in a permanent scowl and a Cuban cigar was tucked between his lips, dangling there like some additional accessory. His eyes were dark and stormy, conveying the unsaid words of annoyance and skin was taut around his muscles and tanned to a rustic glow. His hair… well, it was amusing, that's for one. Coarse and dark, it stuck out from the sides of his head like cat-ears and lay in a tousled heap across his forehead. His sideburns extended into a beard that covered his chin.

Elsa took one look at the man before her and knew exactly who it was.

_Wolverine_.

Damn, even his name was enough to send a shiver down her spine. She'd heard all about him from Surge and Blindfold- those two had **major** crushes on him. It was kinda creeping her out. But she could see what they found appealing. Not only was he tall and fit , he had that brooding look that Anna always thought was incredibly alluring. Elsa couldn't relate- but something about the man threw her off and made her stumble for words.

'Erm… yes,' she mumbled in answer to his question. 'Why'd you ask?'

Without a word, the man grasped her forearm tightly and dragged her down the corridor. 'Whoa, wait!' Elsa exclaimed; legs flailing as she tried to slow herself down. 'Where are you taking me? Ow, let go of my arm!'

The man didn't answer- just growled- and continued on his way with the blond in tow.

'HEY!' Elsa snapped, snatching her arm back and rubbing the sore muscles there. 'It would do you better to actually _answer_.'

The man sighed, cradling his head as if to ward off a massive migraine. 'Listen kid,' he spat, cigar teetering dangerously between his lips as they moved. 'I'm your damn Headmaster, just shut your trap and follow me. And don't piss me off or I'll rip you to shreds.'

Elsa gulped. Of course, she'd forgotten that teeny tiny inkling of information. The  
Headmaster was back from wherever he'd been. Even Kitty hadn't known where he'd gone off to.

He eyed her facial expression and relented, letting out a heavy sigh. 'I'm in a bad mood so let's get this over with.'

He gestured to a wooden door at the end of the corridor. 'Before you go in there, let me ask you. You have any relatives?'

Elsa paused.

'No,' she answered.

'You sure?' Wolverine asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Elsa nodded firmly once more, not trusting herself to speak without stuttering.

The man sighed and spun around on his feet in exasperation before punching a wall.

Elsa just stood in her place, watching him vent.

'Stop lying kid and make my life easier by telling me whether you've got any relations! It's as easy as yes or no.'

Elsa sighed. 'And I said _no_. shouldn't you know these things already? I know the professor has our files.'

Wolverine narrowed his eyes at her, suspicion in his gaze. 'Kid,' he began.

'I don't have any relations!' Elsa said, gritting her teeth. 'you think I'm lying? Why will I lie about that?'

'Well either you're wrong or I'm wrong and I'm gonna go with… you're wrong.'

He smirked… he actually _smirked._

'Why are we even talking about this?' Elsa sighed.

'Cause you're gonna go in there now.' Wolverine said, gesturing towards the closed door. 'And you're gonna talk to the guy who claims to be your "caring relative".'

'My- what?' Elsa frowned, staring at the door at the end of the corridor.

'Dude walked in today just as I was coming in- said he knew you. So go on, tell him how you guys aren't related,' Wolverine said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

Elsa strode towards the door, not knowing what to expect on the other side. 'And I'll do just that,' she said.

* * *

'Hel- hello?' Elsa asked, peering round the door into the small waiting room that was situated beside the Headmaster's office.

Light streamed in from an open window, illuminating the soft wooden furnishings of the room. The curtains were pulled aside, allowing the sun rays to beam inside. Elsa's glance hopped from the window, to the mahogany table to the velvet cushioned chairs to the decorative wall hanging and back to the window.

A fair sized figure stood at the open window, staring outside pensively. Elsa couldn't make out the person's face, but judging by the blue hoodie and the strange pants, this was neither Anna nor Kristoff. The figure seemed small and wiry, shrouded in the hoodie, both palms resting on the window sill. The light caressed his face- it was a boy that much was for sure- causing his cheeks to glow rosily. Fair hair shrouded his forehead, sticking out from under the hood of his jersey.

As far as Elsa could tell, she had no idea who this person was. She cleared her throat, trying to get the visitor's attention.

The boy jumped, gracefully spinning around to face her. His eyes widened when he saw her, a small gasp prying its way from his thin pale lips. Slowly, he broke into a wry smile, a small hand reaching to the back of his neck to scratch at the skin there, nervously. His eyes flicked down to her toes and back to her face, gazing so hard into her eyes that it made her shiver, even with Hank's special warming technology.

'Do I know you?' she asked slowly, gesturing lamely at the boy before her.

He chuckled, stepping closer and tossing the hood from his head and running a hand through his snow white hair.

'I'm Jack,' he said. 'But I don't think you remember me.'

And Elsa's heart stopped. His words didn't even make it to her brain before it shut down completely. Memories bubbled and churned at the sound of his voice, causing emotions to erupt within her.

His voice…

The sultry sound of his words, so gentle and young, like a toasty warm fire and the comforting smell of the forest after a long rainstorm- it froze her in place and slowly, slowly eliminated her brain cells.

That _voice_…

It was the voice from her nightmares- those nights she'd spent awake, tossing and turning sleeplessly. The voice form her worst days, the voice from her past- the voice from her childhood.

It was too much- Elsa nearly fainted.

And that's when Wolverine barged in. The door smashed open as he stalked into the room, faltering only when he felt the strange tension in the air. He glanced from Elsa, who was gasping for air like a fish, and then switched his gaze to the boy, who was standing tersely, hands jammed into the pocket of his hoodie.

'Well,' Wolverine drawled. 'Is the reunion going well? You staying for Christmas dinner, kid?'

Elsa snapped around to face him. 'What are you doing here?' she hissed.

'Just checking to see if he'd abducted you or something. It was awfully quiet,' Wolverine explained, frowning at her strange expression. 'Is everything alight?'

Elsa nodded tightly. 'We're fine. Please leave.'

Wolverine raised a brow in her direction, turned to glare one last time at the visitor and then left, letting the door slam shut behind him.

Once he'd left and the noise from the closing door had subsided, Elsa glanced up at the boy before her. He was still staring art her, his eyes boring holes into her head. His lips twitched once he caught her looking at him and slowly spread into a grin.

'So..,' he started. 'Hi.'

Elsa reached over and punched him full in the face.

He stumbled backwards, knocking into a table and causing a vase to smash onto the wooden floor. Mumbling and grunting in pain, Jack clasped the left side of his face and bent over double.

'You're real,' she breathed, cradling her fist in her other hand.

'Hooolymothereffingblazes,' he groaned. 'I guess I deserved that.

Running his palms across his face one last time, he straightened, almost as if nothing had happened, and grinned back at her with a twinkle in his eye.

Elsa wanted to punch him again.

'Now before you punch me again,' Jack began, holding his arms before himself to ward her away.

'Great,' Elsa rolled her eyes; he'd read her mind. 'Are you another telepath?'

Jack frowned, unsure about the term she'd used. He shrugged it off and continued with his speech. 'I know you've never seen me and it's true we're not related- but you must remember me, Elsa.'

The blond shuddered at the sound of her voice on his lips. This boy wasn't real. She was going mad again. She almost snorted with laughter- just as she'd thought things were going good, the day had taken a turn for the worst.

'What are you _doing _here?' she struggled to say, fingers curling into fists at her sides.

'I came to help you,' he said, looking up at her with a lost boy look plastered across his flawless features.

'I don't need any help,' Elsa snapped, holding her head high. 'Especially not yours.'

'I figured you'd say that,' Jack sighed. 'Which is why I've got to show you, I guess.'

Elsa frowned at him as he sauntered over to where she stood, glancing at her from beneath his eyelashes with a gentle smile.

Elsa's heart thudded in her chest as she eyed him with a wry pout. 'You're not going to kiss me are you?' she asked softly, once he'd stopped just inches before her.

Jack laughed- a heart bubbling sound that rolled off his lips and filled the room with warmth. Instead of answering her, he curled his fingers into his palm and opened them to reveal a tiny snowflake.

Elsa gasped inaudibly. The snowflake rose out of his palm before whizzing through the air and landing on her nose. Elsa sneezed.

Chuckling, Jack twirled around the room dramatically, frost coating everything his arm swept past. Crystalline forms rose from the floor and towered above them, reflecting the sunlight from the window. Light danced off the icy surfaces, brightening the room in a dizzying manner. Jack's grin widened when he spotted Elsa's awed expression. He lifted his fingers, coated in a bluish glowing puff of sparkles and lightly touched it to her forehead. Instantly her most treasured memories replayed in the back of her mind. Joy bubbled in her chest, making her giggle involuntarily. Jack smiled before her and took her hand in his.

'We're different Els. You don't belong here. Look at these people- they're not like us. You belong with _me_,' he whispered, looking her straight in the eyes.

And that's when he noticed the glazed expression leave her eyes. The mystical effect his magic had on her dissipated, leaving Elsa blinking and stuttering at their proximity.

Ripping her hand out of his, she took two large steps away from him and gulped air ruggedly.

'Wha- what are you saying?' she mumbled.

'Elsa, listen to me. We're not like these people. They keep telling you themselves. It's _abilities_ that they have- you and I are magical. Come with me and I'll take you to where you should be… with other magical beings,' Jack was saying- but Elsa didn't hear him.

'You came now?' she muttered, eyes narrowing in his direction.

'Y- Yeah,' Jack said slowly, taking in her angered expression.

'All these years that I needed you… all the times I felt so lost and alone- you never came!' she spat. 'And now when I've finally found a home you swoop in to break it apart. You have NO right to tell me what to do and where to go!'

'Elsa, I was always there!' Jack exclaimed.

'Yeah,' she snorted in response. 'Your _voice_ was there. And it was your _voice_ that caused HALF my problems. Do you even realize that if it wasn't for you and your presence I would never have gone to rehab? I would never have been termed _insane_, my sister would never have broken away from me and my parents wouldn't have died on their way to visit!'

Tears burned behind her eyes, threatening to spill over, but she refused to cry. Not in front of Jack. Not now. Where was Wolverine when you needed him? Now would be a right good time to barge in like the rude imbecile he was.

Jack didn't seem to want to back down. 'Elsa, I know I messed up before, but I'm trying to do this right. They- they're coming and it's going to get ugly if you don't choose soon.'

'Choose? Choose what?' Elsa spat, refusing to give in to the helpless look in Jack's eyes.

'Choose us, Elsa. Choose me. Choose the magical ones; the ones who you belong with.'

'No Jack! I'm staying here. These people, they helped me. They took me in and actually _did_ something to help me. Megan and Surge and Match are my _friends_ and I sure as hell am not leaving them for you. You… you ruined me!'

The tears were most definitely going to spill over now.

Jack sighed in frustration. 'You have no choice Elsa. They're coming anyway. I thought I'd warn you – spare your _friends_ the trouble of having to deal with the Guardians. But it's too late. You want to stay- then stay. Don't say I didn't warn you.'

All of a sudden the frost in the room lost their warm glow. The cold spiked in the room, darts of angry ice spread across the walls, mirroring Jack's anger. He stayed silent as his magic reflected his mood. His jaw was clenched and his eyes rumbled stormily. Taking his hands out of his pockets and pulling the hood over his head, Jack turned to leave. He stalked towards the open window and hopped agilely onto the sill. Without so much as an imperceptible nod in her direction, he was up and out of the window in less than a second.

Elsa watched as he soared away into the sky, without the help of wings or a jetpack. It was magic. He was magical, just like her.

She'd known deep inside that she wasn't exactly a mutant- her powers didn't lie in her genes. But she couldn't abandon the school. And for what? Just because the ghost of her childhood had asked her to?

The door to the waiting room burst open and Wolverine's angry voice filled the room.

'What are you two _doing_ in here? Building snowmen?' he stormed angrily, kicking at the layer of frost upon the ground. 'Where'd the scrawny kid go?'

'He left,' Elsa stated plainly.

She brushed past Wolverine and headed out the room, just as the professor's voice rang through her head.

'_Meet me in my office, immediately.'_

Elsa's eyes wandered behind her to meet Wolverine's questioning gaze. Apparently he'd got the message as well.

Wordlessly, they set off towards Professor X's office, wondering to themselves what could be going on.

* * *

'Where did the boy go?' the professor asked as soon as they stepped in.

'What boy?' Wolverine replied, frowning while Elsa said; 'He left through the window.'

The professor raised a brow at that and shook his head.

'Expect company, Logan,' he said simply.

Elsa looked up at Wolverine. Logan seemed such a normal name for someone so frightening. Logan made him seem cuddly.

'What sort of company?' Wolverine asked, clearly used to the professor's cryptic way of communicating.

'The bad kind,' the professor answered.

Elsa didn't like the way the day was turning out at all.

* * *

a/n: Here's another chapter! i'm so sorry you guys must hate me- i'm taking forever to update. but i'm trying really hard to give you guys good chapters instead of typing out half-assed crap and posting it. so yeah- JACK FROST everybodyy :3 gawsh he's so cute. so i brought them in finallyyy... and the Guardians as well- does anyone see where this is going? huehuehueheee

i can't wait to properly write this out but i cant get too excited or this won't turn out as great as you guys want it to. don't worry, the mutant aspect won't go away completely- we're still going to have mutant battles as well. think of it as a mashup of all awesome powerfulness. idk what i'm saying..

omg WOLVERINE :0 eeeeks tell me how i did? i know he didn't talk _exactly_ like Wolverine does, but i'm not used to writing characters who have never had book versions of themselves (which is why Elsa and Anna and EVERYBODY IN THIS STORY might seem a little OOC). his visual is based on the movie version cause... come on we can all agree that version is hotter :3

i know you guys want ships.. but there's so much mash up here i don't know who to ship. i nearly shipped Wolverine and Elsa but that was kinda scary so i made the others have a crush on him. eeks. (but just so you know, teacher/student relationships happen _all the time _in the comics :P)

on that note, Jelsa is such a common ship and i was planning on making those two strictly platonic. plus Elsa won't forgive him easily for their past. you guys recommend some ships you'd like to see? i guess that way i can make y'all happy and add ships. that would be easier and probably good for my health. imagine what you guys might do if i ship the wrong two together? :P eeeks.

thanks for all the reviews, it really helped me get through this chapter. i nearly gave up but then i read all those kind things you guys had to say and i promised myself i'd finish this chapter for ya'll. i even started on the next so i could give it to ya'll early.

so fave follow and review... and sit tight for the following chapters. i love you guys don't hate me for the late update :/ i'm trying my bestest.

xoxo


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: not my characters- entirely Marvel's and Disney's. my lovely plot tho :P sorry for the delay in updating. hope the chapter makes it up to my lateness :3**

**p.s- warning this chapter has a few swear words i just HAD to put it.. if you don't like please don't kill me.. leave a nice review about it and i'll edit it if i feel too many people are upsetted by it :)**

**read, fave, follow and revieww**

* * *

'ARE YOU READY TO BURN, BITCH?!'

'Never been more ready,' Match smirked, blood and grime streaking his tanned features.

Without any hesitation he launched himself forward with a snarl, entire being alight with flames that radiated intense heat. He tackled his attacker to the ground, driving bundles of fire into his face with a scowl plastered across his own.

Elsa backed away from the duo and used the opportunity to flee down the smoking corridor and hastily make her way into a hallway.  
Clusters of students dotted the campus grounds, battling furiously. The cold night wind whistled through the gaps in the walls of the Main Building which had come to be after the first assault.

Angel swooped down to land by Elsa, panting as he twirled a long blade in his hand that looked suspiciously like a japanese katana. He gave her a grim smile before growling deep in his chest and swirling his sword around to attack a man that had been creeping up behind him. The attacker disappeared from sight and came to view behind Angel, wrapping his arms around the winged blond's neck, catching him unawares. The man then sped off at incredible speeds, blurring out of visibility.

That was the dude they called Quicksilver.

Gagging on the acrid smoke, Elsa stumbled past dead bodies that littered the floor, before she was knocked down onto her face, chin smashing on the marble floor.

Laughter rang out behind her- feminine laughter. Elsa spun around and jumped to her feet, coming face to face with... Herself.

Another Elsa stood before her, mirroring her expressions; both were splattered in blood and dirt, with their hair in messy waves and eyes squinted in suspicion.

Suddenly the second Elsa grinned and slowly turned blue.

Her entire body became a deep peacock blue, her hair changing to short, cropped and red, slicked back from her face. Her eyes glowed yellow and her lips stretched tauntingly into a grin.

Also, she was completely nude.

'Raven,' Elsa growled, freezing the ground at her own feet and allowing it to coat her feet and torso.

'Its actually Mystique,' the blue girl corrected, nonchalantly. 'But come on, Ice girl. Lets dance.'

* * *

It had been a peaceful Friday dinner until Elsa had spotted the chocolate tarts for dessert. Her gut had wrenched painfully then, reminding her of the bad omens that usually followed chocolate.

After the discussion with X and Wolverine about Jack's appearance, Elsa had been dismissed for dinner, where she'd met up with Trance (whom they haven't seen in a while), Megan, Match and Surge. They'd all tucked into the final meal for the day, safe within the comforts of their friendship.

But the dessert had shown up and all hell had broken loose.

Elsa had known the stupid chocolates bore a foreboding sense to themselves. The front gate had been blown to pieces, strangled pieces of wrought iron littering the front lawn. Legions of Magneto's army had kicked the doors to smithereens, barging into the hall and effectively setting off four smoke bombs.

In minutes the X-men were retaliating, striking back with all their might. Kitty, Gambit and even Hank were back to back fighting off the enemy.

Gambit's cards flew across the field, slicing people's arms and faces. Kitty tackled each opponent of her's to the ground before assaulting he or she with complicated aggressive moves. Hank was doing his thing. Scarlet Witch, a thin tall woman, had somehow managed to get to the second floor and was locked in battle with Wolverine. The Headmaster was dressed only in sweatpants and a white vest, that was near shredded to bits. He growled savagely as he extended the adamantium claws in his fists, slashing wildly at his target.

Elsa had engaged in a fight with Trance, her astral form pummeling the shit out of some disfigured enemy while the blond had dealt their second attacker with a snowstorm of razor sharp ice shards that near shredded him apart. They'd been separated from each other, in the mêlée, and she'd found herself assisting Armor, full on assaulting the crazed mutant the other girl had been cowering from. Elsa had flitted from corner to corner, aiding in mini battles, bringing enemies down left right and center. But they never seemed to actually decrease manpower.

Magneto's Evil Mutant gang just kept coming back for more and Elsa had just been heading to interfere between Megan and her fight against a mutant spouting green acid, when Raven- no, Mystique- had decided to drop by. The older woman, sauntered forward in her nudity (save for the blue semi-scaly skin that covered every inch of her body) and paused before the blond. In one smooth motion she placed her heel sharply against Elsa's side, sending her sprawling across the rubble. Elsa refused to stay down and bounded back to her feet, ignoring the burning sensation in her ribs.  
She froze her fists over and swung a left uppercut in Mystique's direction.

The mutant swatted the punch away half-heartedly.

Without a pause, Elsa brought her right fist up and rammed it into her adversary's stomach. Mystique let out a soft grunt before grabbing Elsa's arm forcefully and twisting it right round. The girl shrieked and whimpered, doubling over in pain. Mystique lifted a blue skinned leg and kicked viciously at Elsa. Choking on blood, the young girl growled deep within her throat and willed the sky to convolute with heavy clouds. Frost sparked where Mystique's fingers held onto Elsa's arms and they spread across her entire torso. Hissing, Mystique let go. Elsa rounded on her and brought her knee hard upwards between both of Mystique's thighs. She slammed both her fists into the sides of the enemy's head as she crumbled to her knees. Kicking savagely, Elsa snatched the woman's head by the hair and slammed it repetitively into the marble floor. She then let her hands trail down the sides of Mystique's blue face before resting her palms around her neck. Just as Elsa prepared to strangle the blue woman, her adversary's features changed to mirror her own sister's.

Anna stared back at Elsa with a frightened glance, tears brimming in her large doe eyes.  
The blond paused, breathing raggedly as she watched herself strangle someone who resembled her sister. Summoning strength, Mystique, now launched Elsa off herself and staggered to her feet. She threw herself forward and tackled the blond to the ground. She rained down punches against the pale girl's face and straddled her knees around the younger girl's waist, preventing her from struggling. Elsa tried desperately to use her powers but the panic and the pain were clouding her mind. She felt Mystique's fingers curl around her own neck and spat in the blue mutant's face. Her yellow eyes were tinged with a slightly crazy anger, and she twisted her lips and said; 'Ready to die, bitch.'

And then she rose into the air, glowing green all over and around, like as if Armor's shield had gotten a makeover and was now around Mystique.

The mutant rose ten feet off the ground and then was thrown sharply across the field. Elsa coughed and spluttered as she struggled into an upright position. She could still feel Mystique's fingers laced around her slender neck. Her windpipe was bruised. She wondered briefly upon what had caused Mystique to take such sudden leave but was cut short when a hand reached out into her peripheral view. She followed the arm with a wary gaze and looked up straight into a pair of eyes so deep and brown it made her feel like she was drowning in a pool of chocolate. The face the arm belonged to was bruised to no end; a bruised eye, a broken nose, scratched cheekbone, ruptured bottom lip and a nasty gash that ran from his left eyebrow down to his sharp jaw line. His lips twisted into an impatient scowl as Elsa's gaze dropped to observe the muscles flexing beneath his red Kevlar jumpsuit. He withdrew his hand and ran it forlornly through his unruly dark hair, ruffling it around more so it resembled a messy bird nest.

'Look, you must be new but you can't be stupid,' he sighed, speaking in a surprisingly husky voice that sent involuntary shivers down Elsa's spine. 'This is a war zone- you can check me out if you live to survive the day.'

His upfront self conceitedness snapped Elsa out of her reverie.

'Fuck you, Ken. I'm doing fine on my own,' she snapped, staggering to her feet without wincing in pain.

The boy raised an eyebrow cockily. 'Ken?'

Elsa opened her mouth to elaborate- he did resemble a male barbie doll- but was interrupted by an explosion that jarred her bones and rattled her teeth.

'Let's continue this conversation later,' the boy smirked.

He suddenly grasped Elsa by the wrist and shoved her behind his lean, tall frame. The massive chunk of boulder flying at them at breakneck speeds froze in midair, held in a green light before flying back towards a group of Magneto's mutants.

Elsa glared at the boy who'd saved her TWICE and frowned deeply. He had stopped the boulder and moved Mystique without touching her. He was telekinetic- which only meant that Elsa had either been rendered unconscious by Mystique and was now dreaming, **or** she was being rescued by the infamous Hellion, the star mutant whom everybody seemed to want to devour. Something told her that the latter was the right scenario, so without thanking him, she stalked away in search of Megan to offer help. She rounded a corner, feeling furious that she'd allowed herself to become a damsel in distress (twice!), and walked straight into a flustered Kitty Pryde.

The tall woman had appeared from the wall beside Elsa, gliding right through it with ease. Her skin was gashed around her forearms and her face looked severely beaten. Strands of hazel brown hair were plastered to her forehead along with her perspiration.

'They've started retreating,' the Headmistress murmured into a headpiece that kept her in a communication loop with Wolverine and the rest of the staff. 'Be careful, this is almost too easy.'

Wolverine stormed up from behind her, wearing a scowl upon his face. Gashes crisscrossed his muscular arms and torso, leaving wide gaping holes in his vest- which was so far from white what with the blood, dirt and dust now coating it. He spat at the ground and cursed Magneto.

Elsa shrank back into the shadows, willing herself to be hidden as the two adults whispered to each other about the lack of resistance from their enemies. Kitty seemed unnerved to no end, while Wolverine mumbled happily about how cowardly they were.

Kitty made a face at him and turned around towards the front of the school where the battle still raged on- but with less intensity than it had started out with.

'This is a trap,' she whispered. 'I can't help but feel this is a trap and we're all wound up in it.'

'Like spiders in a web,' Wolverine snorted, retracting his claws with a chilling sound.

The metal glinted morbidly as it receded into his knuckles.

Elsa was taken aback by the metaphor. Wolverine didn't seem like a man of many words. He was more of the 'less talk, more fight' type of guy. At least, that was what she had pegged him for.

A massive flurry of black headed in their direction, morphing in size, shape and color until it touched the ground. Husk did a little drop and roll before shooting to her feet.

'The professor,' she panted, chest heaving as she gulped for air. 'I can't find him anywhere!'

Wolverine and Kitty Pryde shared looks of concern.

'Cerebro,' they said in unison, before sprinting back into the school in search of the basement in which X's most prized possession lay.

Elsa glanced questioningly at Husk who was busy combing her fingers through her hair.

She caught the other girl's confused look and grunted, twisting her long blond tresses into a ponytail.

'Magneto has attempted to take control over Cerebro several times already,' she huffed. 'Once he reversed it so that it would target humans instead of mutants and harm them. Cerebro is extremely powerful, and in the wrong hands she could cause the end of the world as we know it. The Headmistress and Wolverine will go to protect it. They'll need help,' she paused, giving the girl beside her a once over. 'You coming?'

Elsa shook her head tightly. No way was she getting involved with Magneto himself. If Cerebro was his target, then he was most likely going to be in the basement and she was nowhere near ready to battle _him_.

Husk gave a little shrug, before tearing away at the skin on her body and morphing into some form of alien. She was gone before Elsa could even bat an eyelid.

The immensity of the situation at hand struck Elsa like a blow to the head. She was _fighting_. Actively taking part in a _battle_. Panic clawed its way into her heart. Without thinking she froze an unsuspecting enemy and then shattered his ice form to bits with a single clasp of her fingers.

She was in an _actual_ fight. Sweet snowflakes, when did her life take a turn for the worst?

_Since that stupid snowman, _she cursed, thankful that the memory's effect on her had lessened greatly.

And then another thought struck her as she hurtled towards the man strangling Pixie.

_She'd been saved by _**Hellion**_… Hellion! _

Gritting her teeth in frustration, Elsa swung an ice coated fist at her friend's attacker and watched silently as he crumpled to the ground without a sound. Megan straightened, grasping her own neck in shock.

'Didn't see him coming,' she whispered hoarsely.

Elsa nodded with a scowl. _Stupid, jerk Hellion_.

'You okay?' Megan frowned, squinting at her friend in concern, taking in the variety of gashes, bruises, bumps and scratches that decorated her pale figure.

'Better than ever,' Elsa replied with too much of false enthusiasm.

And then the windows in the school building (the ones that had managed to remain intact) shattered in unison, raining down upon the fight taking place in the front lawn. The sky rumbled and twisted stormily, clouds concentrating over the figures below. The wind picked up its speed, howling ferociously as it billowed past.

'Elsaaa,' Megan shouted over the sound of the wind, struggling to keep her feet on the ground as the strong gusts threatened to shred her wings.

'It's not me,' Elsa yelled back, her hair streaming behind her face and nearly pulling her back with it.

The sky thundered once more and then silenced itself as a lone figure descended from above. It had no wings nor any form of flying device- it just levitated itself down above the heads of those involved in the battle. Cape flapping furiously behind, the figure stretched out its arms, causing several objects to fly into the air towards him.

Angel grunted as his katana was dragged out of his hand and into the air as if by some invisible force.

Elsa looked back up at the figure and took a shaky breath.

'Magneto,' Megan whispered angrily, confirming Elsa's fears.

'What are you doing here?' Angel snapped rudely, wings raising him to where the newcomer floated.

'Give me what I want and no one will be hurt,' the man before him said calmly, his voice deep and sonorous, ringing through his helmet.

_ As if everyone wasn't hurt already, _Elsa grunted in her mind.

'And what do you want?' Angel seethed, as if he knew he'd regret saying those very words.

Magneto went chilling silent, turning in the air until he paused, glaring directly towards Megan.

'The girl,' he stated simply, pointing at her with a gloved hand.

Angel cursed, 'You can't have Pixie.'

'Not _her_,' Magneto chuckled.

Suddenly he swooped down low, bringing himself to a halt before the students could rip his throat apart.

'Her,' he said flatly, eyes boring holes into Elsa's skull.

Megan squeaked, grabbing Elsa's arm in fear.

Angel tilted his wings to follow Magneto down to where he was, tagging close behind to make sure he didn't cause any harm to the others.

'Why her?' Angel asked suspiciously.

Magneto didn't answer. He kept staring down at Elsa, his gaze unflickering.

The blond shrank back self-consciously, heart hammering away at her ribs.

_This cannot be happening; this _**cannot** _be happening! _ Elsa froze in place, fear entrapping her muscles and refusing to let her move. The man before her held out his arms in her direction, beckoning her forward.

'No!' Angel shouted, wings beating loudly as he catapulted towards Magneto.

With a flick of his hand, Magneto moved all the metal weapons floating around him to point at Angel. The mutant stopped in his trajectory, within inches of being sliced by his own katana.

'Everybody down on the ground,' Magneto bellowed. 'Except for you, m'dear. Come with me.'

Elsa shook with fear, feet refusing to move.

The rest of the students kept standing, bristling with animosity, prepared to take Magneto out the second they got the chance. Even peaceful Megan had her Souldagger at the ready.

Magneto frowned. 'I don't think you heard me… KNEEL!'

At his last word, the remains of the wrought iron gate and the multitude of weapons rained down on the students and other mutants in the field. Guns turned to shoot bullets on their own accord and swords pierced through bodies as if controlled by some force. The gate swept through the crowd, crushing bodies beneath it as it tumbled past.

Elsa tried to scream but her cries stuck in her throat. She backed away slowly, and using the rising dust cloud as cover, she fled back into the school.

She ran through the corridors, Magneto's angry voice urging her on. He bellowed outside as he searched for her body among the others. Elsa choked on tears, feet slamming against the marble flooring as she strained her muscles to take her further. She rounded corner after corner, not bothering to look where she went. She soon sprinted past the alcove where she had met Bobby the Iceman. As far as she remembered, he had snuck into the school from this direction. All she had to do was find where he'd crawled in from and then she'd be out of here and free.

But fate had other plans for her.

An arm snaked around her waist, dragging her back forcefully. Elsa found herself back in the alcove, staring right into a pair of crystal blue eyes that she so badly wanted to gouge out with her fingers.

'What are you doing here?!' she seethed, thrashing against Jack's arms.

'Hold still, I'm saving you,' Jack grunted, his other hand slipping into the pockets of his hoodie.

Elsa kicked him in the shin.

'She went this way,' she heard a male voice say, from further up the corridor, followed by the grateful whispered thanks from someone who sounded a lot like Megan.

'My friends are coming I don't need you,' Elsa snapped, shoving Jack away from herself.

'Oh but you do,' he replied snottily, producing a clear glass ball.

It looked like a snow globe. Elsa frowned at it in suspicion.

'There she is!' Elsa heard Surge yell. 'Elsa, come on we found a way out.'

Elsa spun away from the boy beside her and reached out towards Megan and the rest of the Paragons who were cautiously running down the corridor in search of her. Someone else bobbed behind them and Elsa secretly wished that that someone was Surge. Jack would do with a good volts to his head.

But before she could move a muscle, Jack snatched her wrist, gave the snow globe thing a firm shake, mumbled something that sounded like an address or a destination and the floor sank below their feet. Colors whirled around them and Elsa felt herself getting sucked into the portal that was opening. She watched as Megan shrieked and flew furiously towards her but then the lights flickered out in her eyes and she let herself get dragged away, strictly reminding herself to snap Jack's neck in two when they landed.

She hated being the center of attention.

* * *

Elsa groaned as her vision returned, eyes blurring as she strained to take in her surroundings. the entire world tipped to the side, causing her to keel over and onto the floor. She hit the ground hard and slumped onto her side, moaning to herself.

Jack peered at her with concern in her eyes. He was saying something but it fell on deaf ears. Elsa groaned again and squeezed her eyes shut.

'If she's dead, I'll kill you North,' he spat, before kneeling beside her to examine her face.

Immediately, Elsa shot her feet out, tripping Jack so that he fell straight on his face. She swung herself over his lying form and twisted one of his arms behind his back. She huffed her hair out of her eyes and tilted her weight so that the muscles in his arm stretched awkwardly.

'Do that again and I'll hit you so hard upside the head that your brains will spill out,' she seethed through gritted teeth, ignoring the fair-haired boy's cries of pain.

Loud, raucous laughter rang out from behind her, causing Elsa's head to snap around so fast it nearly detached itself from her neck.

Two, no three, figures lurked in the shadows; one large, built like a bear, another smaller and leaner, with large hare like ears and another round, short figure that levitated a foot off the ground. The little one didn't seem to be laughing.

Elsa looked around the cavernous room, taking in what she could see- which was very little considering the dim lighting. There didn't seem to be a way out from what she could gather.

'Don't try and runaway, hon,' the bunny shaped figure said, in a drawling Australian accent.

The larger one nudged it, and stepped out of the shadows, revealing himself to be a rather friendly looking, large bellied man with a startling bushy white beard. His tiny eyes twinkled in glee as he dragged the lean figure out. Elsa gasped, sliding off Jack and releasing him from her hold. The Australian happened to be a life sized-

'Is that a kangaroo?' she squeaked, frantically shuffling away from the creature.

It rolled its eyes as the others laughed again.

'I'm a _bunny_,' he stressed, crossing his furry arms.

Elsa noticed the tattoos inked onto his fur and the deadly looking boomerang strapped to his back. He even stood in a slight crouch, indicating that he was ever ready for a fight. Or that could be the way his _bunny_ legs were built.

The large one, dressed in a deep red outfit, slung his arm across Jack's shoulders, bringing him in for an uncomfortable looking hug.

'You managed to bring her in,' he rumbled with a smile. 'I'm proud.'

'Yeah well, get over it grandpa,' a familiar voice interrupted from the other end of the room. 'We're here to get her out.'

Elsa spun around to face Megan, Match and Trance, who were standing in a defensive line behind her, eyes squinting stormily at their strange assortment of adversaries. Her heart leapt for joy- they must have jumped in through the portal before it had closed.

Jack leaned forward, probably to attack the newcomers, but Elsa put a stop to that. She froze him over and sent his ice form careening backwards into the short little guy who was completely yellow. The red man tensed, nodding at the hare silently. The creature whipped out his boomerang and sent it spinning through the air in a deadly curve that was aimed straight for the Paragons.

'Careful, Bunnymund!' the man in red exclaimed. 'We don't want to kill them!'

At his words, the boomerang stopped in the air, held in place by a strange green glow.

Sick in the stomach, Elsa turned slowly in search of the face she hoped she had to never see again.

Sure enough, there he was; smirking like his life depended on it, dark hair ruffled slightly after the trip through the portal. He stood a little away from the Paragons with his arms crossed and his head cocked to the side as if amused by Jack and his troupe.

'What are you doing here?' Jack snapped, finally free of his ice cage.

Elsa groaned quietly; that question had been asked far too many times for just one day.

Jack stormed up to Hellion, his eyes growing darker and blue magic swirling at his fists. He stopped mere inches away from the mutant boy, his whitish hair brushing Hellion's chin. Jack looked like a midget standing there.

'We're here to save _her_,' Hellion said, his smirk disappearing as he glared pointedly at Elsa, before adding: 'Third time's a charm.'

* * *

a/n: Yay, this chapter was fun to write. sorry for the delay- i got my results... i passed well :3

so so sooo... there's a new character swaggering around. tell me how you like him? so badass no? :P Elsa's up for grabs- the X-men want her, Magneto wants her, the Guardians want her, Jack wants her (for himself) and will someone be added to that list? Should we go all Twilight and have Team Jack and Team Hellion? ;)

Lawl that will be hilarious.. Team Jelsa or Helsa? ;) review your ideas :P you guys wanted ships so i'm giving you some. choose wisely.. but don't worry this won't turn out to become some sappy thing about two boys fighting for her love. come on, Hellion isn't the type to chase a girl anyways. keep in mid though that the X-men will keep fighting the Guardians and Magneto for Elsa. that's kinda the point of the story :P heehee..

gimme any ideas you want to see in the fanfic and review any constructive criticism, praise, ideas, thoughts on the characters or anything else you wanna say. try and not hate tho :P

fave the story and follow for updates for my other upcoming chapters :)


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: these characters all belong to either Marvel or Disney. only the kickass plot is miiine :P**

**read fave follow and revieew, my lovelies.**

* * *

'You sent them WHERE?!' Tooth shrieked in North's round face, eyes mad with fury.

She hovered before the large man; wings fluttering so fast it blurred near invisible. Her hummingbird frame made her seem extremely petite and fragile- what with the small limbs, pointed facial features, feathered body and elongated, fairy wings- but the murder in her eyes nearly caused Bunnymund to fear for his life.

And Bunnymund rarely ever feared for his life.

North sighed deeply, rubbing a meaty hand across his face, watching as his fellow Guardian went on a rampant rage.

'I cannot believe you had the nerve to even think of doing such a thing!' she cried, hands thrown above her head in exaggeration.

Bunnymund and North stayed silent, knowing better than to interrupt Tooth once she had started fuming. Sandy floated at their feet, arms crossed in designation with a look on his face that made it clear that he hadn't agreed to any of the proceedings. Small images of sand flickered to life above his head, almost as if he was trying to communicate his displeasure.

'We decided, as a team, to never, ever go there again!' the angry tooth fairy growled. 'You KNOW I don't like that place; you know what happened there.'

As if on cue, her mini- tooth fairies rose out of nowhere to gather around her, wings buzzing as they collectively treated North with a death stare.

'Toothiana,' Bunnymund began, reaching out carefully with his paws.

'NO!' the fairy cried in anguish. 'This is absurd, I DEMAND you let these prisoners free.'

'It is not for you to decide, Tooth,' North mumbled. 'Besides, you haven't seen these humans. They came in hostility! And what's worse is that they can all see us even though they don't believe.'

'They're dangerous, Tooth,' Bunnymund added gently, slowly grasping the fairy's shaking arms.

'Jack won't appreciate this,' she snarled, tanking her hands free and wrapping them around herself. 'You know how much that girl means to him. Wait... you might not- but I do. Jack is still finding himself, and he needs our help! If this girl is the key, then we can't just dump her in a dungeon!'

'Dump who?' a voice interrupted.

The four Guardians turned to watch their youngest addition saunter into the conversation. Jack eyed them suspiciously.

'I can't find Elsa, where did you say she was?' He asked slowly, gaze flickering from North, to Bunnymund, to the unresponsive Sandy until it finally rested upon Toothiana.

'They've locked her up!' Tooth exclaimed, while the others groaned in defeat.

Jack stiffened and his eyes took on a darker hue.

'Where?' he spat, glaring at North while he did so.

'In a dungeon,' Tooth replied, descending until she was at Jack's height and looking straight into his face. 'Pitch Black's dungeon.'

* * *

'We're in a birdcage?!' Match exclaimed, rattling the bars that trapped him inside.

He and the rest of the mutants were individually locked up in massive cages of heavy iron that was suspended from the ceiling in a room which had no floor.  
It seemed to stretch on forever below them; darkness clouding the bottomless pit.

The cages were tall and sickly; made of thick iron bars which were held together by a complicated lock system. The darkness in the room was heavy, making the air feel sluggish and musky. Shadows leapt across the walls and twisted beneath their feet, making every inch of the room feel eerie and sinister. What made things worse was the fact that there were hundreds of other cages among theirs… meaning that there was a high possibility of another prisoner being there as well.

Elsa slammed an ice coated fist into the giant lock of her cage. The only thing she achieved was making a loud, metallic clanging sound that echoed around the cavernous room.

'Quiet,' Trance hissed, from her cage. 'We don't want to bring those guys down here!'

Elsa stopped trying to escape with a begrudging sigh.

'Well this rescue mission went swell,' Hellion groaned, leaning back in his cage casually.

'What is he doing here?' Elsa sniffed, glaring pointedly at the dark haired boy whom she had hoped never to set her eyes upon again.

He gave her a small wink before returning to his casual lounging.

'He was the one who helped us find you, Els,' Megan sighed, glancing briefly towards Hellion and flushing slightly.

Elsa frowned. She'd forgotten his much everybody seemed to _looove_ the boy.

'Yeah well why couldn't Surge come? We could use her help,' the blond mumbled, refusing to admit that a telekinetic could become of use.

'Surge didn't make it through the portal,' Match supplied. 'It shut before her fat legs could get her close enough.'

Megan chided him immediately while Trance sighed in exasperation.

'I can help,' Hellion said suddenly, bolting upright so fast his cage swung precariously for a full minute and a half.

Elsa snorted. 'Yeah you and your giant ego can distract those guys while _we_ escape. Great plan.'

Hellion stared at her flatly. 'Freeze the locks till they break,' he said simply.

'Who? Me?' Elsa stuttered, glancing at the Paragons for help.

She didn't want to be the one to have to break them all out. What if she failed? What if she cracked under pressure and everyone died?

She really needed to stop overreacting, a small part of her brain realized.

Hellion didn't even dignify that with a response.

Elsa huffed and turned to face the lock yet again. This time, instead of attacking it with ice clad fists, she concentrated on coating it with the coldest ice she could summon. Frost prickled at the metal, slowly growing upon itself till it froze the entire lock over. The ice grew stronger and colder and after three minutes of deep concentration there was a small cracking sound.

'Almost there!' Megan cheered under her breath as she heard the noise of the lock giving way echo around the room.

Half a minute later the entire lock crumbled with a wrenching sound and the door to Elsa's cage slowly swung open on its hinges. The others whispered their joy and muttered their praise for Hellion's idea.

Elsa peered over the edge of the cage. The entire contraption tilted forward dangerously as her weight shifted to one end. The blond grabbed on to the bars of the cage before she catapulted out into the endless room.

'Now what?' she hissed, glaring as the telekinetic.

'I do my thing, of course,' Hellion murmured, leaning forward in his cage like as if he were about to share a secret. 'Jump out of the cage.'

Elsa barked a short, rude laugh.

'In your dreams, Ken.'

'Do it, Blondie.'

'Is this your master plan?'

'Just… jump.'

'No way in hell!'

'I'll catch you.'

'And I _do_ trust you.'

'Forget trust- just jump for god's sake!'

'Would you two get over yourselves already?' Trance snapped. 'Julian, try to be nice sweetheart, your ego is becoming more annoying with every breath you take. Elsa- just jump.'

Elsa sighed, knowing she would regret what she was about to do. Without allowing herself the time to think things out rationally, she took a running leap out of the cage she had been locked up in. dark musty wind pushed back at her face and hair as the shadows swallowed her up whole. She fell for over a minute until Hellion caught her with his powers. The familiar green glow surrounded Elsa's frame, freezing her limbs in place and stilling her rapid descent.

Hellion frowned as he struggled to telekinetically move Elsa's entire being towards Megan's cage. Once she was close enough, Elsa reached out and grasped the bars trapping Megan within. Holding onto the metal poles as if her life depended on it, the blond began to freeze the lock to her friend's cage.

Megan flew out once the lock broke and swooped around the room, testing out her wings.

'Come on, who's next?' she asked.

'Me, please me!' Match wailed. 'I'm claustrophobic in here!'

'So much for chivalry,' Trance pouted. 'Save the big baby then. Leave me for last.'

Hellion moved Elsa over to the cage where the tanned pyrokinetic lay in distraught. She bust the lock open with her ice powers and then was moved to free Trance.

'Now what?' Match asked, once Hellion's cage too had been opened.

He, surge and the telekinetic still remained in the cages, but with the doors flung open.

'Megan, you can teleport large groups, yes?' Hellion asked, glancing towards the pixie, who was fluttering by his cage.

'Ye-es,' Megan answered, dragging out the word. 'But I need to know where we're going. I can't teleport us out of the room because I don't know where we are or what the outside even looks like. We could get lost in Limbo.'

'Can't you teleport us back home?' Match yelled from his cage far off to the left.

'No, silly,' Megan huffed, running a weary hand through her violet locks. 'We jumped through a _portal_. Which means we're in another dimension- or a parallel universe.. I dunno. We're far away from home.'

Hellion paused, a contemplative look crossing his features. 'Elsa,' he began, drawing out her name with a drawl.

'No,' Elsa replied immediately. 'Whatever it is you're about to suggest- I refuse to do it.'

Hellion sighed. 'Make us an ice landing and direct it towards the end of the room.'

'And where exactly _is_ the end of the room?' she asked sweetly, voice dripping with sarcasm.

'Up.'

'No way.'

'Just do it.'

'Now before we have a relapse of last time,' Trance interrupted. 'Let's go over this carefully. Elsa is going to make us and ice staircase leading upwards.'

'That sounds ridiculous,' Match snorted.

'I agree,' Elsa pouted.

'It's worth a try,' Megan shrugged, glancing at Hellion, her eyes lingering too long upon his muscled arms.

Elsa felt like she was going to retch. How could _anyone _fall for this guy? His ego was repugnant- as was his face.

'Fine I'll do it,' Elsa conceded, just so that they could get a move on and Megan would have to stop ogling over the telekinetic.

'Atta girl,' Hellion smirked, his lips falling easily into the signature lopsided half-grin.

Elsa shuddered. 'You look like the Cheshire cat when you do that- stop.'

With that, she flicked her wrists, causing a platform of crystalline ice to expand from the foot of Hellion's cage. It continued forward, to link to the bases of Match's and Trance's cages, respectively and then rose upwards, taking the form of a spiral stairway.

'Everybody out!' Hellion commanded. 'Make your way up their stairs with Blondie at the front. Create that stairway as you go along.'

The last part was directed to Elsa. She took the order without questioning him and hurried up the icy steps, making them as she went along. The others climbed up after her, slipping and sliding on the surface of the stairs, but keeping close behind nonetheless.

'Match.' Hellion called, looking over his shoulder to glance at the tanned boy bringing up the rear. 'Melt what's left of the stairway.'

'Yessir,' Match grinned, mocking a salute before turning around to blast flames at the ice behind him.

And so they went; Elsa expanding the stairway leading up to the ceiling while Match melted what they left behind.

'Is there going to be an end to this?' Trance panted, feet sliding on another step.

Elsa laughed; the sound ringing through the room. 'In a sec,' she whispered, before bursting through the barrier above and into a yet another cavernous room.

Except it wasn't a room.

They were standing on a coral pink platform, gently scalloped with golden arcs along its edges. Across the room, several cocoon shaped structures dangled from the rocky ceiling- expanding downwards with a burst of color. Each cocoon structure was actually a platform of marble, below which several arcs descended to create a cavernous enclosed space. Below that was yet another platform which had a second, smaller enclosed area connected underneath it. Several other structures, much resembling the pointed tops of castle towers, were attached to the bigger cocoon, each of shades of sun yellow, coral pink, deep magenta, cerulean blue, midnight blue and aqua, decorated with simple yet breathtaking designs of gold.

Below the suspended structures, waterfalls cascaded off the rocky surroundings. Clear water plummeted off insane heights, throwing up a whitish haze when it collided with the lagoons far below. The turquoise lagoons spilled over into rivers that twisted their way around pillars of rock and stone. Lush greenery spotted the river basins and the many cliffs that scarred the rock face. Small bird like creatures weaved around the suspended structures with ease, wings fluttering wildly as they sped past with tiny buzzing sounds.

'Woah,' Match murmured, jaw slung wide open shamelessly.

Hellion whistled appreciatively and Megan shrieked with glee, taking to the air and flying alongside the tiny birds.

'Where are we?' Trance asked, mouth flopping open as she took in her surroundings.

'We portal-jumped,' Megan answered as she flew by. 'The other dungeon place is connected to here with a portal.'

'And since when were _you_ the expert?' Match huffed, peering over the edge of the landing and gazing down at the picturesque landscape.

'Well, the dungeon sure as hell isn't in under this platform and there's no indication that we actually busted through,' the pixie pointed out, stopping to hover beside the other mutants.

'If that's true- then we've been jumping through too many portals,' Trance added.

'Just two,' Match said, curiously glancing at the nearest cocoon structure. 'You guys, what if this is _pure_ _gold_?'

'Nobody cares,' Hellion said flatly. 'And be careful; don't tire yourselves for no reason.'

He glared pointedly at Megan who landed immediately. 'Portal-hopping drains energy and since we'll be doing that quite a bit around here, we might as well save up what we have less in case we need to pack a punch at Santa or the Easter Bunny.'

Trance snorted with laughter.

'You do realize that he _is_ Santa Claus,' Match interrupted Trance's chortles.

'What?' Trance sputtered, choking on her laughter. 'No way!'

'You live around people with strange genetic mutations- people who can fly, transform, control elements, all that- and you're surprised that Santa is real?' Elsa asked, shaking her head in wonder.

'Well- its _Santa_,' Trance muttered, defensively. 'He _can't be real_.'

'And humans can't fly,' Elsa grinned cheerily, already feeling better what with their useless banter.

It reminded her of how they'd fight at home- or at the school rather- and it helped alleviate the pain from her wounds and bruises and removed some of the intensity of the moment. After all, they _were_ in another dimension.

Great.

'Can we focus on how we're going to get out of here?' Hellion asked, raising his eyebrows cockily.

Megan shook her head. 'I quite like it here.'

Before Hellion could form a proper comeback, a tiny greenish bird zoomed into his face and began attacking the telekinetic's eyes, nose and his forearms once he put them up to defend himself.

'What the actual _fuck_?' Hellion yelled, batting away at the miniscule creature.

'Whoa, calm down!' Megan exclaimed, entrapping the tiny bird in her cupped palms.

'Eugh, get it away from me,' Hellion groaned, running his fingertips along the tiny scratches the creature had left.

'Scared of a bird?' Elsa teased, kicking his shin gently.

'It's a fairy!' Megan squealed, letting the creature free.

It was small and green feathered, with purplish elongated wings much like Megan's own. It had a pixie like face, with a long pointed nose- or was it a beak? - making it look like a hummingbird-cross-fairy hybrid. It nudged Megan and began flitting away from the platform they were on. The bird flew outside the reaches of the rocky cavern and stopped to peer back at them. It flew back to the group, nudged Megan, and fluttered outside the cavern.

'I think it wants us to follow,' Megan said slowly.

'Really, genius?' Trance muttered while Match queried; 'And you know this how?'

'Well, it's what animals usually do in the movies,' the pixie grunted. 'It's worth a shot.'

'We're not following a bird!' Hellion snorted, like as if it was a preposterous idea.

'Fairy,' Elsa corrected.

'Half of us can't even make it out there,' Match pointed out, looking over to where the fairy/bird was hovering.

'I'll make an ice platform and Hellion, you float us out there,' Elsa said, shrugging.

'That's going to be hard,' the telekinetic mumbled, running a hand through his silky locks, letting majority of it flop across his forehead.

'Let's just do it,' Trance exclaimed, grasping Elsa's wrist and tugging her to the edge.

'Let's not,' another voice said, making them pause in their tracks.

'It's your boyfriend again, Blondie,' Hellion groaned, glaring at Jack as the white-haired boy marched up to them.

'He's not my boyfriend,' Elsa muttered hotly, cheeks aflame.

'That's what they all say,' Trance whispered conservatively.

Elsa kicked her in the shin.

'We'll help you leave,' Jack offered simply, crossing his arms over his chest.

'What's the catch?' Megan asked, eyes squinting as she appraised the boy before them.

'Elsa stays.'

'Yeah like that's ever gonna happen,' Match laughed shortly.

'Then you won't have our help,' Jack frowned, anger clouding his eyes. 'And we take Elsa from you- forcefully.'

'Blondie stays with us, kiddo. What is it that they say? Oh yeah- if you love her, let her go,' Hellion smirked, raising a brow.

'Can we not talk about me as if I'm not here?' Elsa raised her voice, stepping in between the ghost of her childhood and the annoying git who refused to leave her alone. 'I get to make my decisions and I decide to go back home. I'm not staying here Jack, I don't know what sick and twisted plan you've got going on but- to hell if I'm ever going to be in the same _room_ as you after this whole thing is over.'

She sent him a glare that she hoped conveyed her unbridled hate and loathing.

'You don't understand, Els,' Jack whispered, weakly. 'The man in the moon said we'd need you!'

'Listen buddy, back off,' Hellion snarled, moving to shield the pale blond with his lean frame. He squinted down at Jack's white head with an irritated scowl. 'Now tell us how to get out of here or so help me I'll cause you eternal pain.'

'We need you, Els,' Jack continued, glancing past Hellion and looking directly into Elsa's eyes. 'I need you.'

Trance squealed into her fist. 'I_ told_ you there was something going on here!'

Elsa rolled her eyes. 'You're several years too late, Jack.'

'It's true,' a deeper voice added.

The man Jack had called North stepped into view, followed closely by the hare, the rotund sandman and a bird-like creature they hadn't seen before. She had pretty features, eyes glancing at them with strange warmth as she took in their bedraggled appearances. She was rather small, only four feet or so, with green, purple and yellow feathers covering her entire body, up to her neck. A feathered crown sat atop her forehead, concealing her hair- if she had any. Three translucent, purple pixie wings spurted from each of her shoulder blades and long glittering feathers trailed at her ankles. Her wings buzzed at rapid speeds, keeping her aloft. She resembled the tiny bird fairies that had been flying around the place earlier. Sure enough, several other bird fairies flitted around her shoulders and her feet, buzzing as their tiny wings struggled to keep them in the air.

'Are these the prisoners?' she asked in a surprisingly friendly voice.

She flew over to Elsa and cupped her face gently in both hands.

'You look beautiful,' the fairy whispered. 'And such lovely teeth!'

'Toothiana,' North chided, sighing. 'Listen, my dear child- the man in the moon has told us that we'd need you for the near future. You are to aid us. we are to be threatened once more.'

'The man… in the moon?' Match snorted, giggles letting loose from his lips.

Jack grunted, like as if this wasn't funny at all.

'Oh you're serious,' Match paused, coughing briefly into his fist. 'Right- continue.'

'What exactly did this man say was the threat?' Hellion asked, raising a brow and allowing his lips to form a slight smirk.

He was humoring them; of course, Elsa realized.

'A man is searching for our kind. We're magical beings unlike you all- we have lived for centuries, protecting the children of the Earth. For all of eternity, our lives will be focused on what we do best. But this man will put an end to it soon. He is on the hunt for us- searching for magic. He will try and harness our powers. And we need your help, Elsa. If we fail, and if we lose our powers- or god forbid, if we die- the children of this earth will forever be plagued by darkness, fear and nightmares. Pitch might rise again, and there will be nothing to stop him,' North sighed heavily, grasping Jack by he shoulders as if to get him to say something.

'You want me to help protect you?' Elsa clarified with a scowl. 'So you kidnapped me.'

'We thought you would come eagerly,' North replied, pausing to glance at Jack.

'Well you thought wrong,' Elsa snapped. 'I'm not willing to help anyone here- send me home. Now.'

'Elsa, think about it,' Jack cried out, lurching forward.

'One more step and you lose a limb,' Hellion warned, crouching in a defensive stance.

'God I never was one to beg- but please kid, we need yer help,' Bunnymund put in, scratching at the space between both his hare ears.

'the consequences of our demise will haunt the world forever,' Tooth whispered, lips taut in a grim line.

'See if we care,' Match huffed, pushing out his chest and standing tall.

'Do you?' Tooth asked; hope filling her features, making her cheeks glow with joy.

'No.'

'Elsa,' Jack called out once more, pleading with his large blue eyes. 'He wants all magical beings- you are one too. You won't be safe with him around. Stay here and we can help each other.'

Elsa was about to snap, readying herself to volley punches at the pale boy's face. What was with him and his inability to accept rejection?

'Els,' Megan whimpered suddenly.

'What is it?' the blond snapped, turning on her friend, anger coursing through her veins, causing the temperature to turn frigid and patches of frost to appear on the coral pink floor.

'this man who's hunting you guys down? I think I know who it is,' the pixie squeaked.

Nine faces turned to face her, breaths bated as they waited upon her answer. Elsa pursed her lips, something deep down inside telling her that she already knew what Megan was about to say.

Nevertheless she let her friend continue.

The pixie let out a strangled sigh.

'It's Magneto,' she said.

* * *

a/n: whooo, first ever cliffhanger! *fistpump* it's not even a proper one i don't know why i'm celebrating. but anyhoo, thank you everyone for the lovely reviews, leave more to fuel my desire to write this book. it really helps urge me on 3

sorry for kicking Surge out, i miss her already- but i kinda realized that i had ignored Trance for at least three chapters now :0 and Surge isn't even in the Paragons... so yeah.

How'd you like ze plot twist? eez interesting no? **just to make it clear:** the Guardians are being hunted by Magneto. he also came to find Elsa in the earlier chapter. he wants to eliminate the xmen by using magic- something the Xmen lack in. everyone's in danger... oh no run for yer liiife! heheheh

and a minor detail- it's the Tooth Palace that they portal jump to, after the dungeon. it's really pretty and i hope i did it justice when i explained it.

feel free to leave any constructive criticism, praise, ideas or aimless blabber in the reviews. i look forward to your ideas, it really helps :)

sorry i won't be adding anymore other characters (like the avengers) cause its going to be waay too cluttered. the story has begun taking a definitive course so imma stick to that. sorry again.

also- i decided to leave you guys a question today, answer it in your review.

Q: Team Jack or Team Helsa?

(your answers will play a major role in the turnout of the ships in this story)

oh and i thought about Match + Pixie (Megan) :3 aren't they cuuuute? they can be... Patch...or Mixie :P lol

fave follow review!

and hang in tight for chapter 13


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **do i really have to keep doing this? judging by my complete lack of creativity and awesomeness i most definitely **do not own these characters.**

**SORRY FOR DISAPPEARING FOR LIKE... ALMOST FOREVER. IT'S TOTALLY MY FAULT- I GOT HIT BY WRITER'S BLOCK AND SEVERE BOREDOM. dammit all that was in caps and i'm too lazy to even retype it so bear with me i'm not yelling at you guys in caps lock- just so you know. here's chapter 13 as promised.. i haven't given up on this story just yet :P struggling a little that's all. **

**read, review, fave, follow. and i'll love you forever. **

**remember- more reviews = happy writer :3**

* * *

North's workshop was nothing like Elsa had ever expected. It wasn't quaint and cozy like it was portrayed in the movies or children's story books. The entire workshop was massive; with elaborate architecture and innovative technology instead of wooden framework and dainty fireplaces. The lighting was warm- illuminating the room in shades of deep red and golden yellow and with the slightest tinges of ivy green. Miniscule elves with cheeky faces tottered here and there as they tried their utmost to be of use. They were so tiny that without their 6inch tall hats they would only be half the size of Elsa's calf. Small golden bells had been attached to the tips of their strange hats and every time an elf fell over or bounced on its toes- there would be an incessant jingling sound that would reverberate around the room to which the Yetis would cover their ears in distress.

The Yetis were large, hulking, ape like creatures covered in white and brown fur, who stomped around the massive workshop, handling the tiny toys with surprising gentleness and care. According to North, they were the ones responsible for making the toys and not the elves- contrary to popular belief. It had something to do with the elves' lack of hand-eye coordination... and maybe their outright stupidity.  
The elves scrambled across the workshop floor, testing out the toys, while the large yetis sat themselves at oak tables and worked away at bringing to life the most elaborate toys ever.  
North's personal workshop was even more breathtaking than the rest of the place. It was small and cozy and full of toys; toys that flew about, others that floated and hovered, others that marched in place and a few that were broken apart that indicated North still had work to do. Christmas was in less than a month, which meant that it must be rush hour for the yetis and elves.  
No slacking on the job for these guys, Elsa thought to herself as she leaned back on North's work table.  
A few toy parts clattered to the floor, along with a Russian doll.

'Oooh- these!' Elsa exclaimed with childish glee. 'I love these. My parents used to have tons of them around during Christmas.'

Hellion sighed from the other end of the workshop.

'God help me,' he muttered, running a weary hand through his dark silken locks, tossing it so that it stood out crazily.

The two had been kicked out of the discussion the others had been having about half an hour earlier and had been locked in the workshop since then. The Guardians and the mutants had been in deep conversation, discussing the issue at hand intently, and working in reluctant cooperation. They whispered heatedly about the looming threat upon Elsa and the Guardians and began plotting on which ways were best to tackle the whole scenario. But then Hellion had started trying to take control of the situation- like the control freak he was- and Jack had struck up his defenses and unleashed his protective streak over Elsa. The two had had a face off; and one thing had led to another, a punch had been thrown, bad words had been exchanged and now the two mutants stood at each corner of the workshop, mumbling to each other about their circumstances.

'Look, its North!' Elsa crooned, lifting the doll so that Hellion could see it.

Sure enough, the lightweight doll had a crude sketch of the jolly old man, accentuating his blue eyes and large white beard. Hellion just watched as the blond giggled to herself as she took the doll apart, separating its many pieces until she found the tiniest doll inside. She took it into her palm carefully and observed the daintily crafted piece of wood.

'Well,' she drawled, pushing strands of loose hair behind her ear as she struggled to hold back a grin. 'This certainly isn't an exaggeration.'

She held the tiny doll out towards the mutant beside her and even _he_, in all his snobbishness, had to let free a chuckle.  
The doll was far from what North really looked like- in fact it resembled a big baby. It was painted mostly red, with a small dab of pale paint at one end which indicated a face. Upon the face were two bright blue orbs that were larger than life itself, representing his eyes. The final image looked somewhat like a crazed bush baby with a rather beautiful, yet maniacal, gaze.

'So this mirrors his inner child?' Hellion muttered, smirking at the tiny doll.

'Maybe,' Elsa laughed; a floaty, tinkling sound that filled the room and echoed for a few seconds after she had stopped.

She dropped the doll back in the one it came from and reassembled the toy. Once she had placed it back on the workshop table, Elsa caught Hellion frowning at her weirdly.

'So what's your name?' she asked suddenly, clamping a hand over her mouth after she did so, cheeks tinted with embarrassment.

She hadn't meant to initiate civil conversation with him.

The boy just shrugged. 'I don't care for it anymore,' he replied, offhandishly.

'Fine,' Elsa muttered, bristling.

So much for small talk.

Hellion focused on the Russian doll intently before raising his gaze towards the blond.

'How'd you and lover boy hit it off?'

Elsa sucked in a sharp breath, treating the boy to a death glare.

'Jack?' she questioned through gritted teeth.

'Yeah, the scrawny kid,' Hellion nodded, looking disinterested.

'What do you mean by 'hit it off'?' Elsa frowned.

'How'd you get to know him, Blondie,' Hellion stated flatly.

Elsa sighed. 'I met him today- or yesterday, whichever.'

Hellion raised a questioning brow.

'He may or may not have been present in my past,' Elsa grumbled, wondering why on earth she was telling him this. 'But I only saw him for real earlier today.

Or yesterday.'

'And you two are already the happy couple, huh?' Hellion snickered, shaking his head gently.

Elsa stomped her foot- actually stomped! - and shot him a withering glare.

'He is NOT my boyfriend!' she groaned, clutching at her hair.

'Trouble in paradise?' he asked with a smirk.

Elsa gasped and punched him in the arm.

'You jerk.'

'He's not your type, Blondie. The guy's way too clingy.'

'Shut up.'

'You can do better.'

'I said, shut up!'

'My, my, touchy are we?'

Hellion chuckled to himself, eyes roaming over Elsa's ever reddening features.

'You're a little red there, Blondie. Should I be worried?' he asked, innocently.

'As if you could,' Elsa snorted, flicking her hair out of her eyes. 'How'd your mission go?'

Hellion grunted in reply and looked away.

'Aw come on, I answered your questions. It's only fair you answer mine!' Elsa snapped, poking him in the chest.

'This isn't 20 questions, Blondie,' he growled, swatting her hand away.

'You know what that game is?' Elsa asked, grinning widely.

'We don't live under a rock,' Hellion sniffed.

'Answer the question, James,' Elsa ordered, punching his arm once more.

'James?!' Hellion choked, rubbing his arm with a wince.

'You look like a potential James,' the blond shrugged, crossing her arms and leaning against the smooth oak table.

'Right,' Hellion bit out, glaring at her strangely.

'You gonna answer the question, James?' Elsa repeated, emphasizing on his new name.

'Yes, actually,' the boy relented with a heavy sigh. 'As long as you stop calling me that- James is such a terrible name. So normal. So boring.'

'The mission,' Elsa stressed.

'Ah yes. The mission was swell- we got there late and could only save half the people in a burning building and then we figured it was a trap and then we got our asses kicked and then everyone died. I got back in time for dinner, happily ever after, the end.'

'You're sick.'

'You asked for it.'

'What was the trap?'

'The building with the people. Magneto knew we'd go for the innocents first. Stupid, defenseless humans. One of us died getting them out. Then we were ambushed and cornered and we lost another man,' Hellion sighed in frustration, pounding a fist on the tabletop. 'If I ever get my hands on Magneto...'

'He was at the school,' Elsa ventured, watching as the mutant boy's facial features went blank and his eyes reflected his pure hatred.

'I know,' he muttered tersely.

'You could've taken a shot at him then,' Elsa pointed out, meekly, peering at him through her lashes, warily taking in his tense figure.

'Nah,' Hellion chuckled dryly, pressing his hips against the table and stretching his legs out before him. 'Was too busy saving you.'

'Gee,' Elsa mumbled darkly as Hellion grinned at her discomfort. 'Don't let me get in between you and your revenge.'

'Its more than petty revenge, Blondie,' Hellion spat, eyes burning fiercely as he no doubt imagined Magneto's untimely death. 'It's his fate and I'm bringing it to him.'

Elsa stayed silent, eyes resting upon anything other than the boy beside her who was near frozen with anger.

He turned to her suddenly, catching her wandering gaze and trapping her within a downright sinful, chocolate brown stare of his own.

'You have a sister, right?' he asked in a strained voice, sounding like as if someone had been strangling him just then.

Elsa nodded, trying her utmost to pry her eyes away from his in vain.

'Tell me about her.'

The blond jerked forward at his strange request, but the look in his eyes told her that he had meant it. Pain swam in the depths of Hellion's gaze as memories spiked in his mind, aggravated after he'd reminisced his failure of a mission. He was hurting inside after the loss of his teammates... and maybe even hurting from his past.

'She's gorgeous,' Elsa said without thinking. 'My sister- she's the best person I know. She's loving and caring and down to earth. She knows me so well I swear we're telepathically linked. She knows exactly how to make my day and knows exactly how to ruin it. She loves me more than anything else in her life and all I've done is reject her love. I pushed her away and avoided her like she was the plague. I ignored her when she needed me the most and now I've lost her.'

Elsa drew a shaky breath, realizing the intensity of the moment.  
She inhaled once more and struggled to steer her rambling onto a less emotional and intense path. She couldn't possibly have a heart to heart with Hellion for crying out loud.

'She's got the prettiest eyes,' Elsa smiled, picturing her sister's face in her mind's eye. 'They're green with specks of gold and sometimes they look brown and sometimes they look grey. When she laughs her nose turns pink- she ends up looking like a little mouse. She rarely ever laughs now though. She's also got a deep seated love for chocolate.'

'Like you,' Hellion mumbled, so softly Elsa nearly missed it.

'H-How'd you know?' she stuttered, brushing furiously in mortification at the prospect of having someone find out about her strange obsession.

'Please,' Hellion scoffed, his voice tinged with genuine amusement. 'Have you seen the way you drooled over the dessert at dinner? You looked near ready to chop off Surge's arm when she took the first tart.'

Elsa groaned quietly and slapped her palms across her face.

'Yeah well, Anna loves chocolate as well. She adores it, almost as much as she adores Kristoff. That's her boyfriend. He's kinda useless... but he's a nice guy, and a big softie. He loves her so I know she'll be okay. I think she may be with him now- at this moment. I've pushed her so close to the edge I don't know why she even sticks around. She could just run off with Kristoff and leave me and my crap behind.'

Elsa hated how jealous she felt when she thought about Anna and Kristoff. SHE was supposed to be the one spending most of her time with Anna- not Kristoff. SHE was supposed to be the one Anna ran to when she needed help or a hug or a shoulder to cry on. SHE was supposed to be the one who made Anna laugh. And now all she did was hurt her sister to the extent that she near expected the poor girl to run away.  
In fact Elsa was surprised Anna hadn't made a break for it already.

'That's because she's crazy,' Hellion said simply, with a tiny shrug.

'Excuse ME?!' Elsa demanded, hands flying to grace her hips.

Hellion laughed loudly, throwing back his head and clutching at his sides.

'That came out wrong,' he winced. 'Its love- it makes people do crazy things.'

'Like stay around to be with your psycho/magic/mutant sister?' Elsa questioned, voice diminished to a whisper.

'Yeah that,' Hellion chuckled.

'Your sister seems like a nice kid,' he said, flicking his eyes up at Elsa. 'She's a lot like you.'

The blond remained silent, a small smile stretching at her lips, before saying; 'Yeah well be happy I'm not her- she doesn't do too well with jerk faces.'

Hellion laughed again, kicking himself off the desk to saunter around the room.

'I'm guessing she has better insults though,' he smirked.

Elsa watched as his usual demeanor settled back in, along with his signature lopsided grin and the confident swagger.

'Yeah, better insults than you,' she snapped back, crossing her arms.

The boy grinned back at her and shook his head.

'Julian,' he said suddenly, after a few minutes of bearable silence.

Elsa looked up to glance at him, eyes tracing the amusement upon his face. She cocked an eyebrow questioningly.

'The name's not James,' Hellion repeated, winking defiantly, lacing his fingers behind his head. 'It's Julian.'

Just then, the door flew open and Megan marched in, followed closely by the sandman and Jack.

'You two about done in here?' she asked, one hand upon her hips and the other gesturing at the mutants before her.

'Yeah,' Hellion replied, making a face. 'Just about.'

'Great, let's go then,' Jack deadpanned, glaring directly at Hellion, his blue eyes swirling with distaste.

'Go where?' Elsa asked, perking up.

She glanced at Megan for any indication as to where they were headed.

'Back home, silly, where else?' the pixie grinned. 'Now let's get a move on! Hurry, hurry, hurry!'

'Seriously?' Elsa queried, nearly jumping for joy.

She really needed a shower.

''How- I mean, what on earth happened in there?' she asked Megan, grabbing the girl by the arm and waltzing out the room, leaving Hellion to trail behind them.

'We had a normal discussion, no thanks to you two,' Megan began, shooting an accusatory glare at the two mutants in question before continuing. 'We came to a consensus-'

'What?' Hellion interrupted, brushing past Elsa to round up on the purple haired pixie.

'A consensus, genius,' Elsa sighed. 'It means they came to an agreement.'

The boy before her bristled in annoyance. 'Can it, Einstein. What I meant was; how'd you ever come to a _consensus_ with those guys?!'

'They're actual very civil and come to think of it, it was _you_ who was acting all arrogant,' a voice interrupted from behind the trio.

Hellion grumbled to himself as Trance stepped closer to join the group. He eyed her warily, drawing himself up to his full height and flicking the hair out of his eyes with a little flick of his head.

'We ready to up and out of here?' Trance asked with a grin, ignoring the dark haired boy beside her.

'Where's Match?' Megan countered while Elsa frowned in confusion.

'And how exactly are we to get back home? Last I checked, we had no clue how to do so,' the blond mused, watching as Trance's grin turned larger- if that was even possible considering how wide her smile was stretched across her petite face.

'You'll see,' the girl replied with a wink.

* * *

'A shed,' Hellion said flatly, observing the construction before them. 'How quaint.'

'It's beautiful,' Megan whispered, eyeing the carefully carved oak wood with envy in her eyes.

The large wooden structure was of a dark hue, with inset Nordic designs gracing its planes; a soft dusting of snow completing the 'Santa's shed' effect. It looked more like a farmhouse than a shed, and smelled like pine trees and roasted hazelnuts. North stood before the large doors, ordering a horde of jingling elves to open the shed. The other Guardians stood to the side, with wary expressions upon their faces as if they were aware of what was coming next and didn't like it one bit. Bunnymund was the most unhappy- his ears drooped sadly over his furry head and the pensive pout he had adopted, made him look all the more adorable. Megan nearly squeezed his chubby cheeks but Match snatched her around the waist before she had time to do so much as even flutter a wing in the direction of the hare.

Trance gazed up at the shed in awe, eyes glistening in the dim light. He took a deep breath of the cold, wintry air and let out a petulant sigh.

'I'll miss this place alright,' she mumbled, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her X-men blazer.

'I could always make it snow for you back at home, you know,' Elsa said, moving to stand beside Toothiana and Sandy.

The Tooth Fairy graced her with a small hello, and the small golden man just grinned up at her silently.

'He doesn't talk much does he?' Elsa ventured, gesturing at the sandman, who had a series of sand-images flickering rapidly over his head.

'He never did,' Tooth replied, reaching out for Elsa's face. 'Did I ever tell you how _great_ your teeth are?'

'Hands off, Tooth,' North called jovially from where the doors to the shed were being opened. 'Stay away from her teeth, you hear me?'

'Is she a dentist?' Megan whispered to Match, who promptly smacked his own forehead in embarrassment.

'She's the goddamn _tooth fairy_, Megs!' he whisper-shouted.

'Yeah, but those don't exist,' the pixie replied with equal lack of subtlety.

'Jack has pretty teeth too,' the green feathered fairy nudged Elsa in the forearm, giving the pale blond girl a small wink. 'That's almost the first thing I told him.'

Elsa cringed. Speaking of Jack…

'Where is he?' she asked Toothiana, refusing to search for him in the small group.

Toothiana looked away.

'He's,' she began, only to be interrupted by North's cheerful chortles and Bunnymund's cries of despair.

'Not the wretched piece of wood, again!' the hare wailed, clutching at his ears and tugging on them.

North's laughter boomed across the cavernous room, rattling the overhanging icicles.

'Come now, Aster,' he beamed, throwing a small wink at the quivering rabbit. 'Hop in.'

'What in Cyclops's name is **that**?' Pixie squealed, eyes widening to the size of large dinner plates.

Match crowed in excitement while Trance nearly choked her lungs out.

'I ain't going nowhere on that thing,' Hellion protested, backing away from the crazed contraption approaching them.

'It's fun, trust me!' Toothiana cried as she flew in to take a seat.

Sandman followed her in his usual silence and so did Bunnymund, much to everyone's surprise.

'Are you serious?!' Elsa exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air in utter bafflement. 'We're actually travelling in that?'

'As long as I get the corner,' Bunnymund whispered feverishly, gripping the wooden sides tightly.

North beamed once more, this time directing his contagious joy at the mutants before him and the death-trap contraption of his.

'Come now,' he chided, snapping the reins so that the shock traveled all the way up to the reindeer at the furthest end of the line.

The majestic animals reared on their hind legs, shaking their furry heads so that the bells on their antlers tinkled and clinked. The let their forelegs thump back onto the snow carpeted ground; flakes bursting into the air at the contact.

'It's the sleigh,' North continued, his grin teetering dangerously close to becoming a full blown smirk. 'Everyone loves the sleigh.'

* * *

a/n: so there we have it- incredibly lame and most definitely overdue. it's a filler chapter- so sorry for keeping you guys waiting. i feel killer guilty for dragging this out.. but i've been involved in some stuff so time fleww away from me.

bleh.

so take a chillaxi taxi till the next chappie comes out- which will be god knows when.. but at least i'm not on hiatus :P or actually you guys can hate all you want... spit fiire at me in your reviews i don't mind i deserve it. anyhoo THANKS SO FRIGGING MUCH for your reviews and helpful ideas.. imma give a shoutout? can i do a shoutout? heck yea i can thiz my story

shoutouts to ManfredsAwesomeAdmin95, arianas, cherryblossomszahime and Sondrex76 for their amazing reviews and help 3 treat yourselves to a pat on the back- you helped so much with your kind words.

to all the guests- you rock too... get an account so you can follow and fave the story ;)

why does this feel like my final a/n? oh i re-watched Sherlock's death so now i feel as if the entire universe has lost all meaning- oh well. life could be worse. i could be waiting for Sherlock season4- oh wait i am. hell hath no fury than a wholock on hiatus -_-

review, fave and follow if you haven't. i write fueled by your words and constructive criticism :P

i WILL make chap14 incredible and bursting at the seams with action and drama and romance and thrills and chills and spills and rainbows and unicorns and glitter- just as soon as i figure out where the heck this story is going..

off to the mind palace for mee..

(who got that reference? :D Question for the chapter: fill in the blank- whaddup _ reference?)


	14. Chapter 14

**Well i'm back.. hope i haven't kept you guys waiting too long. A jar of Nutella fueled this chapter and let me tell you i think that's why it's so god damn long. longest chapter yet.**

**happy reading, amigos.**

**read, review, fave and follow! **

* * *

Nothing.

Nothing could have prepared Elsa for the crazed trip back home. Nothing could have warned her for how it would feel: exhilarating, breathtaking, mind numbing, nausea inducing and oh so very dangerous. Nothing could've prepared her for that. Nothing was to be done as the sleigh sped precariously through the air at breakneck speeds. She could only cling to Megan in hopes that the pixie could save her in the event of a crash. Nothing else could be done. Neither was there anything to say. The g-force slammed them all back in their seats and sent all hopes of speaking out the window- or in this case out the sleigh and into the bright sunny sky. It was broad daylight where they were flying, yet it didn't seem to be a problem having the reindeers charge on in the sky in plain sight. Elsa couldn't bear to look over the edge and see if they were passing over civilization or not. If they were, and if someone down there were to gaze up at the bright blue sky by any chance, they'd be rewarded with the sight of a rickety wooden contraption being hauled across the atmosphere by a horde of fat furry reindeer. If that wasn't heart attack inducing, Elsa didn't know what was.

Bunnymund sat quivering in his corner, head leaning against the wooden side paneling in hope of stilling the disturbances in his head. The hare clearly didn't like being airborne. Elsa was beginning to realize why. Land creatures, she surmised as her stomach flipped nauseatingly, were never meant to fly.  
Megan was as still as a statue, seated in the same place she had always been in, with Match cheering and whooping silently beside her. The boy was thrilled out of his mind, throwing his arms into the air, letting the sun reflect off his tanned arms and surround him in a coppery glow. Elsa could tell what he was thinking. He probably wished he had hair so that the wind could do wonders with it. As much as it hurt when her hair caused whiplash, Elsa loved the feeling of the wind through her locks. It loosened her braid and sent smooth ripples against her scalp. God knows she needed a head massage.  
Trance was seated before Elsa, in the same row as Megan and Match, but the petite girl didn't seem much concerned with the sleigh. She glanced down at her fingers, bored, as the sleigh sped onwards, the wind tossing her hazel hair around her face. Toothiana was in the front, apparently unmoved by the g-force as she babbled constantly about how lovely her palace looked after it's reconstruction and how much work it had been reassembling the teeth and their memories. No one had a clue of what she was talking about, at least Elsa didn't, but they all had the right mind not to interrupt. Not that they could- Tooth seemed to be the only one capable of formulating sentences at this point. Even North was silent as he steered the reindeers and struggled to keep the sleigh from tipping over.

Elsa allowed her gaze to settle on the boy beside her. He had his eyes shut (pity, for as irksome as his face was, Elsa was really fond of how chocolate brown his irises were) and was reclining gracefully against his seat. His lean body angled off the wooden seat and his long legs were propped upon the backrest of the row Megan and the others were seated on. His arms were behind his neck, cushioning his head, and his raven black hair fluttered around his bruised and battered face. He looked almost as if he were asleep.  
Of all the places to fall asleep he chose the death-trap sleigh ridden by overweight creatures that flew hundreds of feet above sea level.

He never failed to surprise her.

Elsa squirmed in her place, trying her best to resist temptation and peer over the edge. How far high up were they? Were there people down below? Were they as tiny as specks? Or was it just endless fields? Or sand dunes? Or snowscapes? What part of the world were they in?  
Unfortunately fate had decided that her questions would not be answered- not today, not ever. For at the very moment that Elsa decided that she would look over the sleigh and observe the passing ground way below her, North announced a change of plans.

'Alrighty,' he called from the front of the sleigh. 'Buckle up, fellows. This is gonna get bumpy!'

The mutants stared back at him in confusion.

'Well, where're the seatbelts?!' Match cried, hurriedly searching the sleigh for a safety harness.

'Ha! That was just an expression!' North laughed, producing a glass globe from the depths of his red winter coat.

The mutants stared back at him for a few seconds and broke into a panic.

Elsa felt a vague sense of déjà vu tug at her stomach as she eyed the snow globe like device in the burly man's hands.

North shook it violently all of a sudden and finally realized when she'd last seen that happen.

'Portal!' she screeched as North tossed the globe into the air in front of the sleigh.

The glass globe exploded, releasing compressed magic in the forms of green and pink and blue swirls of color that much resembled the _aurora borealis_- the northern lights. The sleigh charged towards the portal- its passengers screaming and clawing their way to the back while its driver laughed maniacally to himself.

The reindeer disappeared into the magic black hole and soon everything darkened and spun out of control.

* * *

'Never again, North!' Bunnymund wailed, toppling out of the sleigh- or rather, what remained of it- falling face first onto the gravelly drive.

The sleigh had landed on the driveway leading into the school- rather haphazardly though, for as soon as it landed, North's most precious mode of transport fell apart. The reindeer launched themselves back into the sky the moment the sleigh dismantled itself, racing into the horizon and disappearing from sight. North cursed loudly, tears leaking out of his eyes as he ran his palms across the now broken panels of wood that had once made up his favorite sleigh. He mumbled incoherently to himself, clutching a single splinter to his heart, while Bunnymund dragged himself from the wreckage and positioned his limp body beside the stairs leading into the X mansion.

Toothiana followed closely, wings drooping as they carried her over to where the hare lay. She stopped beside him and placed a wary hand on his forehead.

'You'll be alright in a while, Aster,' she smiled. 'Let me have a look at your teeth.'

The mutants tumbled out of the remnants of the sleigh, Match and Hellion cursing colorfully while the girls merely dusted themselves off. Much to everyone's surprise none of the passengers had been injured badly- except for North, his heart seemed to have shattered along with the sleigh. Elsa felt as if there may have been a deep connection between the big burly man and his wooden contraption and decided to leave him alone for a while. She dragged her weary self towards the stairs and collapsed beside Bunnymund. Megan and Trance followed suit.

Hellion's face had gone red with anger as he spouted profanities faster than the sleigh had ever traveled. Match was crouching on the floor beside him, retching in a way that signaled he had lost all excitement he had harbored towards the contraption.

'I feel like **crap**,' he wailed, hands cradling his bald head.

Hellion swore again, twirling on his heels as he shook his hands towards the sky.

'Stupid, f******, piece of wooden _crap_!' he was shouting. 'Can't believe I even let myself get into that _thing_! Goddamn f****** piece of shit!'

'Hellion,' Elsa warned. 'Shut it.'

'You try nearly being killed by some flying, useless death-trap,' he snapped back, running his hands roughly through his dark locks, untangling the knots the wind had made.

Elsa shot him a look that she hoped conveyed the fact that she had been in the stupid sled _with_ him. She caught North's distressed expression and felt her heart go out to the old man. That sled might have meant something to him and here Hellion was, bad-mouthing the very thing he had just lost. She marched over to the dark haired boy, ready to slap him full in the face for being so insensitive when she noticed something that made her pause.

'Your arm,' she muttered, averting her eyes.

Hellion halted midway through his rant and twisted his neck around to peer at the back of his shoulder. The sight there elicited a sharp gasp from his lips. A splinter the size of his palm was embedded just below his right shoulder blade, buried deep into the muscle. Redness had seeped into his shirt; staining the cloth with a rose like pattern, unfolding further as the movement of his neck forced more blood out the wound. He barely winced as he took in the sight, letting a small scowl take over his mouth.

'Great' he muttered, turning back around to face the sleigh wreckage. 'Just great.'

'Want me to help you with that?' Elsa offered quietly, sensing the irritation rolling off his body in forceful waves.

She could taste his arrogance in the air.

'No I'm fine,' he muttered, waving her away dismissively. 'Doesn't hurt.'

'Don't be stupid,' Elsa countered. 'It'll get infected.'

Hellion shot her a look. 'What do you care, Blondie?'

'Just let me help you,' she said through gritted teeth. God this boy was infuriating.

'I don't want your help,' he replied, curling his fingers into a fist.

He stalked off towards the stairs, grumbling under his breath, giving Elsa a full view of his wounded shoulder.

It looked like crap. Nothing else.

Elsa jolted forward involuntarily, to knock some sense into him and get him to allow her to fix him up, and called out his name- just as someone else did.

Hellion froze upon the stairs, his entire being turning to a statue, his muscles contracting visibly beneath his clothes, forcing more blood out of the puncture in his shoulder. Not a moment later he was knocked off the step he was standing on, tumbling to the one behind him as some force crashed into him, arms thrown around his neck.

A long slender body was draped across Hellion's own; arms around his neck and legs wrapped around his torso. The girl was pretty- no; she was beautiful- with raven hair tumbling from her head to her waist, bringing out the darkness in her eyes that were lined carefully with kohl. She was wearing a two piece costume, which basically included a sports bra style leather top that stopped just below her breasts, leaving her midriff bare to the world. Lucky for her, her body was taut with muscles, making her look dangerous as well as downright attractive. Leather pants were slung low on her hips, held in place by a strange gold belt, melding close to her toned thighs and calves before disappearing into her knee high boots. She would've looked pseudo-Goth if it weren't for the bright sparkling in her eyes. She swung her body sideways while clinging onto Hellion, so that the two spun crazily until he regained his footing.

And then she kissed him.

Full. On. The. Mouth.

Megan had a cardiac arrest- that Elsa was sure of. Match had his mouth dangling so wide open he could've caught a swarm of flies in it.

Hellion staggered under the weight of the girl who was ravishing his face, his hand flying across her body as he struggled to- rip her off? He was tugging her away from his face and the whole situation was just so comical Elsa couldn't hold back the laugh that trickled from her lips. The sound of her chortles filled the air- the same tinkling sound- and her actions proved to be Hellion's savior.

The girl snapped her head away from Hellion's, looking up to glare daggers at the blond. If looks could kill, Elsa would have died twenty times over in that very instant.

'Who's that?' the girl seethed, pushing her dark hair out of her eyes.

Hellion took the opportunity and let go of the girl, allowing her to tumble to the floor. She caught herself in time and landed on the balls of her feet, crouching like a cat.

Damn, she had good reflexes.

She stalked towards Elsa with murder in her eyes. He gait was confident, almost predatory, as she made her way towards her prey, hips swaying as she moved. Elsa eyed her warily, allowing her lips to twist with distaste.

The girl stopped a few inches before her and peered down into her blue eyes.

'Where'd the kid come from?' she asked, directing her question to Hellion even though her eyes never left Elsa's.

The blond huffed and flicked platinum strands out of her eyes.

'That's classified,' she answered scornfully, knowing that it would tick her off.

And it did.

The girl before her looked pained at this new information- like as if she hated being out of the loop. She scowled, the action tainting her otherwise perfect features.

She stepped back and clenched her fists in front of Elsa's face so that the other could watch the metal blades rise out of her knuckles.

Elsa gulped, _great, another Wolverine_. If she was as thick-headed as the original was, then they'd have a problem on their hands.

'See these?' she asked, flicking her wrists so that the light caught the metal and reflected off it. 'They can slice right through your skull- and don't think I'll hesitate to do _just…that_.'

Elsa smirked, something she rarely ever did, and before she even realized it, the female wolverine's claws had frozen over.

'Any colder and they'll shatter,' Elsa said matter-of-factly. 'Let's not go there, shall we?'

The pseudo-Goth girl stuttered incomprehensibly as she struggled to sheath her claws. The ice prevented her blades from retreating- leaving her standing there gawping like a fish out of water. Elsa's smirk grew as she flipped her windblown hair over her shoulder and strutted towards the stairs leading into the mansion. On her way up the stairs she looked over at Hellion and quirked an eyebrow in his direction. The boy blushed furiously, averting his gaze from her's and focusing intently on his shoes. Elsa chuckled to herself once more and swept away into the mansion to get herself cleaned up.

* * *

The damages the school had suffered not a day earlier had already been patched up. The main building was still missing chunks of its roofing and a few pillars looked on the verge of collapse- but the impending damage had been cleared up. All credit to Hank, Elsa supposed. She trailed beside Megan and the rest of the Guardians- sans Jack who had decided to take his own mode of transport- as they made their way to the Professor's office. The school was eerily silent; much unlike it was on its better days. The acrid smell of the smoke bombs still lingered in the air- or that could've just been her imagination, Elsa realized. She could still hear the shouts and screams that had been elicited when the attack first began.

Shaking her mind clear of the disturbing thoughts, Elsa took the time to map out everything that was going on at the moment, in her head. Magneto was now supposedly posing a threat to the Guardians- which meant that the mutants and the magical beings now shared a common enemy. Were they on the same side then? Were they going to fight alongside each other? Would X even accept the Guardians? Or did he already know of their coming?

He wasn't psychic, was he?

Elsa sighed. Then there was Jack. He was a paradox of the worst kind. One moment he was jovial and friendly- even civil- and the next he was seething with fury and jealousy. He confused Elsa to the extent that she didn't even know what to do around him. She just kept her face still, devoid of any emotion. Neither smiling, nor frowning. That seemed an adequate reaction to his antics. But what was to be made of his interactions with Hellion? The two _never_ got along. Was it because they shared similar sized egos? Or was it something else? Match had a big enough ego and he and Hellion managed to get along fine without maiming each other every passing second. And then there was the strange girl. She and Hellion seemed to have a history- and quite an interesting one at that. Elsa couldn't help laughing as she replayed the incident in her mind's eye. Hellion had _not_ seen that one coming. She just hoped she wouldn't cross paths with the girl again- she didn't mind whatever relationship the girl had with Hellion, as long as she didn't get involved in it.

The girl didn't seem eager to see her. Elsa wondered what it was that she had done to be on the receiving end of the wolverine girl's wrath. Was she jealous? Had she thought that something had been going on between Hellion and her? Elsa balked at the thought. Hellion couldn't _stand_ her and she couldn't stand him. They were polar opposites, right? She was level- headed and calm and collected and clever and quick witted- and he was an ass.

But he had told her his real name, and that had been something intimate for him. Why would he have done that if he despised her?

Elsa groaned inwardly, distilling all thoughts in her head. It was giving her a migraine- and besides, they'd already reached the office.

Toothiana flew gracefully into the room, pausing to take it in.

'It's cozy,' she surmised, pursing her lips.

Her eyes narrowed at the laptops upon the oak table and the giant touch screen monitor that had been suspended from one of the walls. Sandy floated in behind her and settled into an armchair beside the window. His childish features softened and in a few seconds he had fallen fast asleep. His gentle snoring soon filled the room; the air released from his nose causing the lock of golden hair across his temple to flutter gently.

Bunnymund wasted no time in limping towards the crackling fireplace and curling into a ball beside it. He kept his palms outstretched towards the hearth and cuddled around himself with his long ears wrapped around his head. Toothiana opted to inspect the technological devices in the room, starting from the laptops. She hovered beside one, tapping a key hesitantly. Instantly, the screen flickered to life, showing a diagram of some sort of energy field. The fairy jumped back in a fright, crashing into the bookshelf behind the desk and causing a few massive volumes to tumble onto the carpeted floor.

Elsa winced from the doorway and wondered vaguely where North was. A voice interrupted her thoughts- and it was an unpleasant one at that.

'What on earth is going on in here?!' Wolverine cried, brushing past Elsa and staring at the Guardians scattered around X's office.

'Hi,' Tooth called, flying over towards him. 'I'm Toothiana, but you can call me Tooth. Who are you? It's a bit warm in here, isn't it? Sorry about those books- I don't usually make a mess of things. My, your hair is most amusing- may I see your teeth?'

Wolverine made a face at her that probably insinuated that he thought she was bat shit crazy, before slowly backing away.

'Listen lady,' he began, palms held up in surrender.

'They're with us, Wolverine,' Elsa interrupted, stepping forward.

The Headmaster paused, letting his eyes roam across the blonde's features warily.

'Elsa?' he ventured. 'Kid is that you?'

The blond regarded him with a flat stare. 'Who else could it be? Have you forgotten me already? I've been gone only a day!'

Wolverine's eyes bugged out of their sockets and the vein his neck throbbed angrily as he tried to contain his shock.

'A day?' he cried, ignoring the Guardians. 'A day? You've been gone for over a week! Mind telling us where you went?'

Elsa gasped, taking a step back. 'A… a week?' she stuttered.

'I better get Kitty and X down here,' Wolverine mumbled, running a hand through his hair.

'Now your hair looks crazy,' Tooth noted solemnly.

Wolverine shot her an unamused glare and then headed out of the room, nearly crashing into someone else on his way out.

'Watch it, mister,' Hellion groaned as he sauntered in, rubbing his arm warily.

'Elsa,' he cried when he saw her. 'I've been looking for you.'

'I brought them to see X,' the blond murmured, still lost in deep thought over Wolverine's words.

'Listen,' Hellion began, taking a breath and eyeing the Guardians carefully.

Sandy remained fast asleep and Bunnymund seemed on the verge of doing so himself. Toothiana was grinning at him scarily, but he chose to ignore her and ploughed on.

'About what… err, _happened _earlier- I'm sorry you had to see that. I- uh, I didn't see that coming. I mean, if I had known she was here,' the boy stammered, feeling out of his depth as for once, the mighty Hellion, was at a loss for words. 'That was uncalled for- she shouldn't have... I mean there's nothing even going on. She just- she left. I thought she left… didn't know she was here... _ damn _I'm sorry-'

'Hellion,' Elsa interrupted, clearly not having heard a word of what he had struggled to say.

'What?' he sighed, a crestfallen look passing across his features.

His apology would have to wait. What he was even apologizing for, he didn't know. He just felt the need to. The _urgent_ need to.

'We've been gone for a week.'

'_What?' _he sputtered in genuine shock.

'I said, we've been gone-,'

'Yes I heard you… but _how_?'

'I dunno… I honestly don't know.'

'Time may run differently here,' Tooth interjected.

The two mutants turned to face her.

'Explain,' Hellion commanded, crossing his arms over his chest- the movement causing his wound to bleed more.

'I told you to get that fixed,' Elsa sighed, eyeing the splinter embedded in his shoulder.

'Time is the most flexible thing in the world, and it flows differently in our realm,' the fairy explained. 'In the North Pole, it's always winter… just as it is always spring in Bunnymund's Warren. So I suppose time passes slower in our world, whereas in yours…is it safe to say it passes normally?'

'I suppose so,' Hellion grumbled.

'We need to get you to a medic,' Elsa stated, grabbing the boy by his forearm carefully and dragging him to the door.

Wolverine burst into the room, before she could exit, with the Headmistress and the Professor in tow.

'Here they are!' he exclaimed when he caught sight of the two young mutants.

'Elsa! Julian!' Kitty cried, running towards them with outstretched arms.

'Where are the others?' X asked, peering at the blond with a questioning glare.

'Outside,' she stammered in response.

'What ever happened?' Kitty questioned, drawing back to examine their faces.

'Jul- Hellion is hurt,' Elsa began, only to be interrupted by the boy himself.

'We jumped through a portal. That boy- um, Jack? - yeah he tried to kidnap Blondie, here-,'

'He tried to save me!' Elsa intervened.

'… And we followed to make sure she was safe and to bring her back-,'

'I really didn't need their help.'

'… Then these guys who claimed to be guardians of some sort, captured all of us-,'

'That was a mistake.'

'… And locked us up in cages. But we broke free and tried to escape, but they bargained with us saying they needed Elsa to attack some 'threat' of theirs. We didn't take the deal, obviously-,'

'They weren't that hostile, honestly.'

'But then we realized that they were being hunted by Magneto- or so they say-,'

'It's probably true!'

'It isn't. But supposing it is true-,'

'Which it _IS_.'

'Which it isn't! They could be lying… but either way we decided to help them and they brought us here in a piece of crap, wooden _death-trap_ that nearly killed us all-,'

'He's exaggerating.'

'It nearly did! Look at my arm!'

'I've been trying to get him to a medic!'

'Doesn't matter- I don't need one.'

'Don't be ridiculous, Hellion!' Elsa cried, throwing her arms in the air.

'Quit being such a nag, Blondie!' the boy retorted, oblivious to the complete silence that had befallen the room during their exchange.

The professor, Kitty, Wolverine and Tooth were watching them warily like as if they were from an interesting television show that might also spontaneously combust before them.

'Aren't they absolutely adorable,' Trance cooed from the doorway, turning all the attention in the room to her.

Megan blushed furiously beside her friend, immediately apologizing for entering without permission and for her friend's crude remarks.

'So you all made it back?' Wolverine asked grumpily, shoving another cigar between his lips.

'That _can't_ be good for your teeth!' Tooth exclaimed, reaching forward and yanking the cigar back.

'Who on earth are _you_?' Kitty exclaimed, glaring up at the feathered fairy.

'I am Toothiana,' the fairy answered, pulling herself upright. 'Queen of the Tooth fairies and the Guardian of Memories. Pleased to meet you too.'

X was the first to recover from her introduction, and he rolled his wheelchair forward, extending a hand to be shaken.

'I'm Professor Xavier, founder of this school for mutants. You stole one of my students,' he said, in a way of greeting.

Tooth blushed. 'Well, Jack did that- technically.'

'Stop blaming it on the kid,' Bunnymund called groggily, from where he was curled beside the fireplace.

X raised a brow at his furry form.

'Who's the kangaroo?' Wolverine asked, snatching his cigar back from the fairy.

The hare straightened immediately, drawing himself to his full six and a half foot height, so everyone could see him in all his glory and make out the flower-like detailing imprinted into his silver grey fur. The leather wrappings around his wrist and ankles made him look more like a warrior and added to the effect brought out by the boomerangs strapped onto his back. The bronze bracers on his forearms caught the firelight and reflected it merrily around the room.

'That's E. Aster Bunnymund to _you_,' he growled, green eyes glinting fiercely, his Australian accent more pronounced. 'The last surviving Pooka warrior and the Guardian of Hope. And I'm a _bunny_.'

Wolverine choked on his cigar and Kitty Pryde struggled to hold back her disbelief.

'You can see us, right?' Tooth ventured, taking their silence for the fact that they didn't believe and hence couldn't see the Guardians.

'Erm, what sort of question is that?' Trance asked form the doorway.

'Only children who believe can see us,' Bunnymund stated matter-of-factly, crossing his furry arms across his chest.

'Well we can all see you,' Kitty said slowly.

'Care to explain _that_, Easter kangaroo?' Wolverine asked, earning a slap on the arm from Pryde.

Bunnymund bristled and stayed silent.

'It's your distorted genes,' Tooth explained solemnly.

'Excuse _me_,' Wolverine exclaimed, surging forward angrily. 'My jeans are fine! I washed them _yesterday_!'

'Oh lord,' Kitty mumbled, slapping a palm across her forehead.

'This is an interesting turn of events,' X observed, ignoring Wolverine's outburst. 'Glad to see you all are alright then. We had a search party organized. Logan had to find ex X-men to come and help. And a few new ones are here too.'

'Is Bobby here?' Megan cried, jumping forward towards the professor.

'No, I'm afraid he isn't any longer. He and Gambit had a 'falling out' of sorts,' X replied, crossing his hands in his lap. 'Shall we convene a meeting with these Guardians then? Oh, who's this in my chair?'

'That's His Nocturnal Magnificence, Sanderson Mansnoozie, Sandman the First, Lord High Protector of Sleep and Dreams,' Tooth said smilingly. 'We call him Sandy.'

'Well that's a mouthful,' Wolverine said, flatly. 'What was his mother thinking?'

Tooth frowned. 'The Man in the Moon gave him that title. He was the first Guardian!'

Wolverine balked. 'Of _course_. The Man in the Moon!'

'Hey watch it, wise guy,' Bunnymund snapped.

X sighed wearily, holding his head in his hands.

'Quiet, Logan,' Kitty interrupted. 'Shall we take this meeting to my office? Children you all may return to your rooms, I'm glad you are all okay. Hellion, please get that looked at before it gets infected.'

'I told you so,' Elsa mouthed with a scowl.

She swept out of the room with Trance and Megan and Match following her. They strolled towards the dormitories, stopping only once to force Hellion in the direction of the sick bay.

'Well, what's with X-23?' Trance asked cheerily, watching in glee as Megan's face fell.

'Who's that?' Elsa asked, eyeing Megan's crestfallen expression.

'Only the girl who loves Hellion with all her soul,' Trance grinned evilly. 'Whom he once liked back.'

'Oh be quiet, it's not like I expected him to like me anyway,' Megan sighed sadly. 'I always knew they had a thing.'

'You like him?!' Match exclaimed, eyes bulging out of his head. 'Why him? He's so stupid! Why not-,'

'Why not who?' Trance pressed.

Match's passionate expression closed off immediately and he pulled back from the conversation.

'Never mind,' he mumbled quietly, before turning on his heel and heading off towards his dorm room.

'What's with him?' Megan mused.

Elsa rolled her eyes. If only the pixie knew. Gosh, she could be _so_ naïve sometimes.

'Is X-23 the girl we met outside?' she asked Trance, whose eyes glimmered in excitement.

The girl had always had a sweet tooth for gossip.

'Yes!' she crowed. 'And she's absolutely jealous of you! Did you see how he dropped her after the kiss? Epic! And she got so worried about you being there!'

'What?! Why?' Elsa groaned, shielding her face from view using her palms.

'Oh come on! One, you're drop dead gorgeous, two, have you _seen_ your hair? So exotic. Three, you two just went through extensively traumatic experiences together- something X-23 hasn't done in a while. Four, you guys crash landed together in a magic sleigh and FIVE, you crash landed after he went looking for you to _save you_. Is that not reason enough?'

'We were there too,' Megan muttered. 'In the goddamn sleigh.'

'Everyone knows you and Match are a thing, Megs,' Trance snorted. 'She's not that stupid.'

'You were there,' Elsa reasoned, pointing at Trance.

'Me?' the brunette snorted again. 'He wouldn't touch me with a sixty foot pole.'

'Great,' the blond sighed in defeat.

'How are you not jumping for joy?' Megan cried, unhappily. 'X-23 is jealous of you and Hellion went out of his way to _save_ you! I'd be over the moon!'

'But I don't want their attention!' Elsa moaned, running a palm across her face.

She stalked towards the door leading to their dorm, only to be shoved out of the way by something that came barreling through their door.

Arms twined around her neck and something blue filled her vision. It took Elsa several seconds of breathlessness to realize she was being hugged to death.

'Surge,' she whined. 'Let go.'

'Don't ever, _ever_ leave me!' the mutant cried, eyes brimming with unshed tears. 'I thought I had lost you all!'

'Relax it was only a day,' Trance muttered, slipping past them and into the room.

'A day?!' Surge shrieked, electricity dancing across her fingertips. 'You disappeared for over a week!'

'What?!" Megan froze in the doorway, turning wildly to face the blue haired mutant. 'How much of homework have I missed?'

'Oh, tons,' Surge replied, sourly.

'How'd we miss a week?' Trance wondered aloud, and Elsa slowly explained to her what Tooth had said about time running differently from realm to realm.

'You jumped through a portal?' Surge whistled in wonder. 'Damn son.'

'It made me queasy,' Megan sighed, flopping on her bed.

The four made friendly conversation for the next two hours, discussing about their adventures in the magical realm and Surge's efforts to rebuild the school. It had taken all of Hank's precious technology to fix up the gaping holes Magneto had left behind. They had suffered no fatalities thankfully, but several were left terribly wounded. The sick bay was overflowing with constant visitors to get their daily checkups on broken bones and sprained muscles and nasty gashes. Apparently Armor had broken three ribs and snapped her weak femur- the one Surge had broken earlier during their fight in school.

Surge felt no remorse. In fact she laughed as she related the story, earning her a slap from Megan and a cheer from Trance. Elsa was too tired to pay attention to their banter.

She lay in bed struggling to organize her thoughts, when the door flew open to reveal a disheveled and fuming X-23. The girl stalked forward angrily, steam nearly rising from her ears. She had her claws out, literally, the blades extended from her clenched fists. Her hair flew around her face as she leaped onto the bed without paying any attention to the other three mutants and held her claws at Elsa's throat.

'Listen bitch, I don't know what you've done but Hellion won't so much as _look_ at me anymore and it's all your f****** fault, you little whore. If I see you near him ever again,' the mutant was screeching but before she could even complete her threat, a strong gust of icy cold wind knocked her off Elsa's small frame and sent her crashing into the door opposite the bed. She staggered to her feet but froze just as she did so, ice coating her legs and bare midriff, near freezing her to the brink of hypothermia.

Elsa whipped her head around to the window that was now open; wind howling through and causing the curtains to flutter wildly.

A figure stood beside the sill, crouching in the open window, hood drawn over his head and a long stick clenched firmly in his right hand. He hopped nimbly into the room, tossing the hood from his head as he did so. The light caught his white hair and made it glow brightly, much resembling the sparkle in his eyes.

'Ladies,' Jack smiled, nodding at the mutants who stared back at him silently. 'I have arrived.'

* * *

a/n: damn son, this was 14 pages long on MS Word... eeeks i'm excited to see what you guys have to say about all this. so I've taken in some of your suggestions. X-23's appearance is a brilliant idea! just like the Bobby/Iceman idea. you guys are epic- let me tell you that. i love you guys to bits. please review and fave and follow... more chapters coming up.

you guys... X-23 is so cool.. i'm not sure how long ship Helsa will sail.. :/ do you want it sailing? i feel like it might do a Titanic and just.. sink.

so Surge is back.. yey.. and how was the scene where the mutants met the Guardians.. Kitty and Wolverine were so shocked- lol. that was the best scene for me cause there are two Hugh Jackman's in one tiny room- he acted for Logan/Wolverine and voiced Bunnymund :P i was soo excited.. Jackman is the best. Wolverine is supposed to be a short canadian and they got him- a six foot hunk from Aussie- to play the part. gawsh hez amazayn.

okay fangirling aside; attack that review button and send me your praise, your ideas, your fangirling, your criticism, you hate- i dont care! i could use anything you send me. constructive criticism is the best!

i hope you guys have as much fun reading this as i did writing it. it was the most fun chapter so far- for me at least. tell me what you fave chapter so far was? _**revieeeew**_

i love you guys to bits.. shall we get the reviews to 50? ;) pleaaase? it would make my year :) get us to 50 reviews and i might consider a Hellion's POV as a bonus chapter :P

ha... i'm baiting you.

feel baited.

and review..

adios.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: these characters aren't mine, i do not gain any income from this story and i am very very sorry for the delay. **

**my creative genius likes going on strike.**

* * *

The time was near.

It had taken no less than half a week for the mutants to create a plan in collaboration with the Guardians. The Headmistress, Headmaster and X camped out in one office, cramped together with all five Guardians as they plotted their next move.

They had already sent Angel out on scout duty, to scour the area around Manchester- Magneto's favorite location of recent times.  
According to Trance, whose sources were rumors, Magneto was searching for magical beings in order to usurp the Xmen. He knew this was an advantage they didn't have. He already had Scarlet Witch and her devastating powers on his side. M-day had almost succeeded in destroying all the mutants, but now he could drive his plan home.

That's what he'd wanted the Guardians for. He would've tricked them into fighting beside him. But their Man in the Moon had already warned them that he had evil intentions. So now he was on the search for something big.

Nobody knew what.

Elsa could barely contain herself as the students went about their new schedule. Kitty Pryde had released a notice ordering all students to comply to a new schedule that was to be run by Gambit. It included all sorts of general training, tactical training and specialized mutancy development. Which meant that each student had personal time with Gambit to better hone their powers before the inevitable battle.

Seeing the teacher again, Elsa barely understood why she'd ever been afraid of him in the first place. Gambit was as much of a jerk as usual and so was X-23.

The girl stalked corridors to make sure Hellion was safe away from the blond. Talk about overprotective; this woman could very well be his mother.  
X-23 had been called back to the institute to be a part of the rescue party intended to bring Elsa and the others back from wherever they'd gone to. Angel had re-recruited old Xmen and even found two new students for the school. X-23 had gladly volunteered to help bring Hellion back, but now was clearly regretting it. The telekinetic didn't give her the time of day- he went about all his activities barely sparing her a word and to make matters worse, he always found time to make decent conversation with the very cryokinetic his ex-girlfriend despised.  
They'd gone from hate-at-first-sight to awkwardly-normal-and-civil. He'd ask her about her day and she'd reply the best she could without breaking the untold mutual promise and sounding... friendly.

God forbid they'd actually become friends...

Elsa shuddered in retrospect. She slipped out of the Danger Room where she'd been practicing with Megan and Match, and proceeded down the length of the corridor leading onto the field where the others would be training.

She'd left the pixie and Match behind, to settle out their differences. As of late they'd both been acting rather stiffly towards each other- always pointing out their flaws and blaming all the team's faults on each other. It killed team dynamic and so Elsa had left them behind to talk it out.

Speaking of teams... Elsa nearly cringed as her mind brought up the thought. Pryde had dissolved all existing teams within the school body and made several new ones including the ten recruits Angel had brought in. The Paragons had been split between teams Alpha and Beta, the two groups of mutants that were crucial to the new plan.

Team Alpha was headed by Hellion- no surprise there- and consisted of Megan, Match, Surge, Elsa herself, two new recruits named Thornn and Feral, and most unfortunately, X-23.

Elsa had to admit the she-wolverine was an incredible asset, but she could barely contain her contempt. X-23 was always searching for ways to execute petty revenge; like tripping Elsa over during Danger Room training so that her defense would falter and the team would lose. All her actions reflected badly on the team and even someone as stupid and shallow as Bling would know how important it was to build team dynamic in a time like this.

Elsa sighed as she walked brusquely to the field. She could make out the silhouettes of the mutants training there- Armor and her spooning shield glowing pink, Bling and her shiny rock hard skin reflecting the rays of the setting sun, and finally, Hellion, holding every single mutant there in his telekinetic power, hovering them ten feet in the air.

Gambit was screaming at him to put them down, but the boy seemed oblivious, focusing so hard on his exercise that he barely noticed the trickle of blood oozing from his nose.

He let out a sudden sigh and the mutants tumbled out of his green energy hold and slumped ungracefully onto the field. Hellion nodded at Armor who was writhing on the ground in pain and strutted across the field towards Elsa, a grin radiating his entire face.

'Well?' Elsa scowled, for the main purpose of reminding herself that they weren't friends and that this wasn't civil conversation at all. 'How'd it go this time?'

Hellion had been trying hard to advance his powers, like Bobby the Iceman had once told Elsa about. Mutants could 'unlock' more abilities from deep within themselves and Hellion had made it his personal mission to do so. Of late, he'd been struggling to levitate, or hold in place, large amounts of beings.

'Splendid,' he replied, still grinning. 'Had them up there for like, half an hour!'

Elsa restrained her laughter and instead, quirked a brow.

'No wonder you're bleeding, wise guy.'

Hellion looked confused for a moment and then brushed his palm across his upper lip, effectively rubbing away the blood there.

'Eh,' he muttered when he realized what she was talking about.

'Don't push yourself too far, Ken,' Elsa warned, brushing past him and heading towards Gambit for her personal training.

'You know I never understood that. Why 'Ken'?' Hellion called back. 'Aren't I more of a Barbie? I've got the arms, the legs and damn I'd look good with makeup and plastic surgery.'

Elsa chuckled involuntarily, eliciting a gasp from the boy behind her.

'Oh my goodness,' he whispered. 'Did she laugh? I made the great and mighty Elsa laugh! Oh, joyous day! Somebody call the press! She actually laughed!'

Hellion made a great show of grabbing the nearest passing student by the shoulders and shaking them violently; all the while drilling it into their heads that he'd said something that had made Elsa laugh.

The blond cringed internally; prying his fingers from the poor student and allowing the child to break free and make a run for it.

Their leader was crazy.

'What was that about?' Elsa snapped, trying desperately to cover her growing blush.

'Nothing,' he replied smugly, a smirk taking over his face, bringing out the sparkle in his dark chocolate eyes.

Elsa huffed and trudged onto the field, only to be dragged back into the corridor by her wrist.

'Come train with me,' Hellion suggested, twirling her into him as he pulled her back.

'Now?' Elsa stammered. 'I've got... I've got to go train with Gambit!'

'Gambit is bollocks at training and you know that,' he pointed out, already moving them down the corridor towards the Danger Room.

'I was just in there,' Elsa whined.

'So let's go again,' Hellion said, dismissively. 'Training twice certainly won't kill you.'

Elsa sniffed. 'Yeah but you might.'

* * *

Hellion was beautiful when he fought.

He looked like a god when he battled the obstacles the Danger Room spewed forth; body twisting agilely as he avoided the onslaught of meteors, his muscles flexing beneath his signature flaming red body suit. Elsa could barely tear her eyes away as he froze falling meteors in the air telekinetically and crushed them in their place by using his power. His eyes sometimes glowed green when he used his telekinesis, and a greenish light would surround his entire body, levitating him inches off the ground.

His movements were lithe and fluid, almost like as if his actions were pre-planned, like as if he'd been practicing these very moves for decades on end. Elsa struggled to focus as she spewed ice at the boulders flying towards them.  
She ducked the onslaught rather gracelessly and felt a burst of magic leave her fingertips unbidden.  
The blue energy that was expelled from her body swarmed around her hand, growing in size and shape till it coated most of her forearm and her wrist. The magic solidified to look like an ice version of Surge's gauntlets. Elsa felt a spark of anticipation in the pit of her stomach. Adrenaline pumped her veins as she swung her arms forward, aiming the newly formed weapons at the oncoming attack.  
It was time to see what her magic could do this time.

Taking a quick, shaky breath, Elsa clenched her fists firmly, never expecting what was to come next.

The ice gauntlets acted like some form of cannon, releasing icy pellets in quick succession in the direction of the flying meteors. The rocks exploded immediately upon contact with the bullet like ice, crumbling to dust over their heads.

'How the-,' Hellion began, eyes wide with wonder, when a meteor slammed straight into him- slamming into his chest and knocking him right off his feet.

'Concentrate, Ken,' Elsa screeched in a panic, turning away to hold off the onslaught on her own, making sure none of the flying rocks came within few feet of them.

Hellion groaned behind her as he struggled to his feet.

'You okay?' the blond called hesitantly, over her shoulder.

Hellion made a face she couldn't see. 'How did you do that?' he asked, stepping forward to assist her.

The room stopped generating meteors and went eerily silent, as four- no, five- laser guns rose in random positions across the room. They formed a sort of defensive barrier and it soon became clear that she and Hellion would have to get to the 'other side' in order to pass this round.

She flicked her gaze nervously from one gun to the other, deep dread filling her gut even though she knew the lasers were merely holographic and would do them little to no harm. She glanced towards Hellion who was still frowning at her- his mind clearly in someplace else.

Sighing Elsa thrust herself forward at his feet, curling around as soon as she hit the floor and creating an ice wall between them and the guns- just as the first laser was fired. Red beams slammed against the opaque partition, peppering against the structure relentlessly.

Elsa grunted as she strained to keep the wall in place.

'Any time now, Ken!' she mumbled, rising shakily to a knee, arms still stretched before her to hold up the barrier.

There was a sharp, gut-twisting crack as a laser penetrated the wall, sending shards of ice backfiring into Elsa's periphery. The hole was minute, but the domino effect it had on the ice barrier was staggering.

Cracks shuddered through the ice structure, threatening to cause the entire frame from collapsing before them.

'Hellion!' Elsa yelled, arms weakening from the strain.

The telekinetic reached forward, energy buzzing at his fingertips, but he was too late.

The lasers burst through the ice barrier, with a smattering sound and the first beam to break through catches Elsa full in the face, sending her spinning wildly across the room. Hellion ducks the lasers gracefully, twisting himself right around to aim at the nearest gun. In moments he manages to rip the weapon out of its stand- his telekinesis wrenching it off the ground and holding it in the air. He glanced once towards the cryokinetic on the floor and then switched his attention back to the laser spitting machines.

With a quiet grunt he heaved, as if he was about to throw something, and the bulky gun hovering in the air slammed down upon the next machine with incredible force, smashing it to smithereens.

His eyes glowed an intense shade of green as he strode forward, nimbly avoiding the lasers still flying around the room. He reached out towards the next laser cannon and slowly began to wrench it from its place by using his powers. The frown on his face settled deep upon his brows, weighing them down heavily over his opal eyes. Elsa surged to her feet, unwilling to be left behind in the fray. She sprinted after him, pausing only to deflect the lasers hurtling her way.

'Hellion, careful!' she warned as she zeroed in on him, tackling him around the waist in time to save him from an errant laser beam.

'Dammit,' the telekinetic growled under his breath as he struggled to his feet- the green glow completely faded from his eyes.

Elsa remained in a crouch, staying low to the ground in order to avoid the lasers. The guns were already swiveling around to face them, preparing their cannons to fire.

'Think fast, Ken,' she whispered hurriedly, tugging at Hellion's pants leg. 'Duck down and hug the ground.'

The boy complied immediately, narrowly missing a laser that shot right through the air where his head would've been.

Elsa narrowed her eyes at Hellion's crouching frame. He was so not in his game today.

'I know,' he whispered back.

Shit, had she said that out loud?

Elsa cringed internally and shuffled forward to whisper in his ear.

'Take the gun to your left first- you go offense, I'll have your back.'

He raised a brow in question and then thought against it, pushing himself off the floor and charging towards the cannon Elsa had specified. The cryokinetic followed closely, aiming her ice gauntlets at the contraption in order to intercept the laser beams it spewed from its mouth. The lasers came in contact with the ice pellets and immediately exploded, giving Hellion a miniature time window- in which he lunged forward and ripped the cannon of its base and held it in the air. It stayed that way, as Elsa whirled around him, shielding his body from the other lasers emanating from the final cannon left standing.

'Go,' the blond whispered- and Hellion smirked wanly.

The canon suspended in the air came crashing upon the last machine and it whined in protest as it flattened to the ground and Elsa burst into a triumphant grin.

'Well that was the worst fight ever,' she frowned, glaring pointedly at the boy beside her.

Hellion had the good grace not to defend himself.

'Dammit,' he swore again, his fingers bunching up in to fists by his side as he paced the now silent Danger Room.

'What is it, Hellion?' the blond questioned warily, hands upon her hips. 'You're scaring me.'

The boy fumed to himself, kicking at the rapidly disappearing holographic laser cannons. He ran a weary hand through his already tangled hair, knotting it further.

'I'm useless, Els,' he murmured in a low voice, husky with emotion.

The blond started in shock- this was probably the first time he'd actually used her nickname. It felt… intimate. Eck.

'Hellion, that's crazy,' she snorted, trying to diffuse the growing uncomfortable tension. 'You're the best in the school!'

'And do you know how hard it is to perform under pressure?' Hellion snapped, rounding on her, eyes dancing with an unnamed emotion, so alien to his face.

Was… was he scared?

Oh, crap.

'Hellion, I-,' Elsa gulped, reaching out to calm him.

'No,' he whispered. 'I'm- I'm the last telekinetic on earth, Elsa. The very last of my kind- everyone's expecting something huge from me. The last mission was a complete failure! I let everyone down. My teammates- they died. They lost their lives and it's my fault. We could've stopped him. And now he's going to kill us all.'

'You can't think like that,' Elsa frowned.

'I can, if it's true,' Hellion replied darkly. 'I haven't broken through stage II of my telekinesis for over two years. I haven't improved at all! I can't lead us into war! That would be suicide in itself. We might as well hand ourselves over.'

'Hellion, shut up,' Elsa said carefully. 'You don't know what you're saying- you're... not... well.'

'Of course I'm well,' he snapped back, crossing his arms.

'Hellion, you can't be like this,' she mumbled quietly. 'Not now- especially not now.'

'I'm useless,' he muttered and took a deep breath before continuing. 'This is why I'm handing the leadership to you.'

Say_ what_ now?

'Hellion,' Elsa growled, tersely.

'It's already done- I mean I just have to tell Kitty about it and I'm sure she'll agree. Look, it's for the best. We can't botch this up as well.'

'The only thing that's gonna be botched up is your face!'

'Elsa, be real.'

'YOU be real! I can't do this- I'm not leadership material- this is ridiculous!'

'Listen, Els.'

There it was- intimacy again. What was with this boy- so goddamn mercurial.

'I know you can do this. You're strong and confident- and not to mention, you're more powerful than you think. You'll do great. I know you will.'

'That's it. Hellion, we're going into a simulation and this time- you're fighting!' Elsa snapped suddenly, marching out of the Danger Room.

She took a sharp turn once outside, quickly entering the control booth that hung over the room so that other mutants could either observe or manipulate the happenings of the Danger Room. She planned on doing the latter. Fingers flew across the control board and soon the room resembled a scrap metal yard- a perfect place to battle a magnetic. The room took over the simulation and immediately set about levitating the metallic components in the holographic scrap field, tossing them about so that Hellion was forced to take action and protect himself.

The technology was impressive- Hank had once mentioned to her that it contained four high-capacity Shi'ar computers that generated the room-filling, 32-bit color images at 300 gigabytes per second, creating hard-light laser constructs of anything imaginable that are virtually indistinguishable from reality. She had absolutely no idea what that meant- but it was alien tech and that made her feel uneasy.

Nonetheless, the Room did neat work of the job- soon Hellion was battling ferociously, stalling the incoming metal objects in the air and batting them aside with his telekinesis. But it wasn't enough. She needed him to see that he still was in the game. He was nowhere near the failure he thought he was. He was HELLION for god's sake- the same boy who had literally the entire school worshiping at his feet.

Elsa knew she had to push him to his limit. That's what happened when she fought Bobby. She smiled fondly as she recalled the over-friendly, smooth talking Iceman. He'd been really inspirational. Her fear for losing herself had overtaken and moved her to react- thus effectively giving her control of her magic. The same had been when she'd fought Gambit- the time she'd nearly sliced him to pieces. He'd taunted her about her past- reminding her about how lost she'd been, how helpless and alone. Never again- she'd told herself.

And now here she was, in complete control of herself and her magic, it was ever growing and evolving within her.  
Hellion needed the same to happen to him. she needed to push him over the edge. But how?

She smirked distastefully as she programmed a command into the simulation. The technology complied immediately. In the fray down below, a figure buzzed to life, leaping gracefully across the room, battling the metal objects that had now caught flame and were near exploding in Hellion's face. She caught the mutant's dumbfounded expression as he realized who the newcomer was.

X-23 slashed at the metal coming at Hellion with her savage claws, shredding it so till there was nothing left.

'Laura?' Hellion asked, in a revered tone of voice. 'What are you doing here?'

'Saving you,' the girl replied with a grin. 'What did you think?'

Elsa mocked her words up in the control booth and made a face.

'Time for you to go now,' she muttered, fingers slamming the control board as she typed out a new input.

Down in the Danger Room, another figure materialized- Magneto himself. She knew Hellion's deep-seated anger towards the mutant. Maybe his thirst for vengeance would throw him over the edge.

The evil mutant moved both his arms in the telekinetic's direction, but what happened next was unexpected. X-23 yelped as she rose into the air, arms outstretched and body stiff, frozen in an uncomfortable position. Hellion howled in anger, telekinetically tossing objects at Magneto- but of course none of them came close. He repelled them magnetically and continued to torture the Wolverine clone by stretching her apart.

'What the heck?' Elsa muttered, trying to command the simulation to release the she- wolverine.

She hadn't programmed this. She hastily tried to retract the command and pull X-23 out of the simulation before she got hurt- or worse, died.

But maybe this would throw him over the edge, just like you wanted, her mind argued, desperate to watch the conniving woman tear apart.

Elsa cringed- her dark side was overwhelming. No way was she going to watch a fellow mutant die, simulation or not.

But the Danger Room didn't seem to be listening. Magneto spread his arms wide and in one swift motion- X-23 was no more.

Oh, if only it was this easy in reality, Elsa's inner dark side mused, rubbing her hands in glee.

Hellion roared loudly as he threw himself at Magneto- tackling him to the ground; arms flying wildly as he threw punches arbitrarily. He stayed the same though- amidst all his anger. No giant burst of telekinetic development. No green flashes and earthquakes.

Hmm, Elsa mused. He needs more death.

The Danger Room was more than happy to comply, introducing several fellow mutants into the simulation without Elsa even having to program them in. the blond watched warily as Magneto proceeded to massacre them one by one, while Hellion tried desperately to help them. From the way she saw it- if the plan failed, Hellion would never believe in himself again.

Great, she huffed to herself.

Maybe we could kill his parents, her inner darkness muttered craftily, stroking the fluffy white cat on her lap as she swiveled around in a massive evil chair.

Elsa groaned internally. The control she had over the simulation was driving her crazy. She needed to stop this. It was no good- Hellion looked torn. This wasn't supposed to be happening.

The blond hurriedly typed in commands to end the simulation- to no avail. The Danger Room kept playing it out- forcing Hellion to fight helplessly as his friends were killed mercilessly before him. The Shi'ar tech didn't respond to her inputs. The simulation went on.

'No,' she cried, frustrated.

Wasn't there a massive red 'self-destruct' button on this thing? There usually were.

And then the Danger Room began to hum quietly as the scenery shifted, morphing into a massive fortress of iron and steel- a place Magneto would feel right at home. It resembled an abandoned factory, shrouded in shadows that occasionally shifted when metal sparked on metal causing sparks to shower. Hellion looked about wildly, battling Magneto's minions as he made his way to the heart of the fortress.

Elsa frowned. She hadn't asked for this. Was the Danger Room… self aware?

She had to question X about this.

The telekinetic charged into an empty cavernous room that glowed eerily in amber light. Magneto appeared in the center, holding a mutant in captive. He or she was kneeling at his feet, head bowed, surrounded in a pool of blood. Elsa watched with bated breath as the scene unfolded before- just as the Room had planned for itself.

Hellion's barely restrained anger was palpable, even from up high in the overhanging control booth. He shouted unintelligibly at the old mutant before him, threatening his imminent doom. Magneto didn't seem thrown off by this. He merely yanked his prisoner to their feet and held the poor mutant by the neck. The telekinetic paused uncertainly- perhaps evaluating the situation? Elsa didn't know. He had just witnessed all his friends die? Could there be any worse? Maybe this was a member of his family. Maybe a brother- or a sister.

She peered out of the glass in the viewing area, struggling to catch glimpse of the simulation.

Magneto thrust the captive mutant into the air and growled something under his breath- something that caused Hellion to freeze in place. The mutant in Magneto's grasp lolled forward, revealing feminine features and a bloody, bruised face. But her hair was unmistakable. The platinum blonde caught the amber lighting, and Elsa gasped involuntarily from her perch in the control booth. What was she doing in the simulation?

Hellion seemed to have been thrown off track as well. He rushed forward hurriedly, palms up before him as if trying to negotiate. Magneto snarled.

The telekinetic moved towards his adversary in slow fluid movements, muttering all the while. Elsa couldn't hear what he was saying, but the tension in the air was so thick it could've been cut with a spoon.

And then the Room hummed once more- alerting her. Something was going to happen and it wasn't going to be good.

Her inner dark self grinned maliciously to herself, lounging back in the evil leather chair.

Magneto raised the simulation blond higher in the air and then tossed her away.

Hellion leaped towards her, reaching out telekinetically to intercept her fall- but somebody else reached her first. A flash of blue tackled simulation Elsa to the ground and drove a large engraved spear into her chest in one swift move.

Up in the viewing booth, Elsa winced.

Time seemed to freeze in the simulation. Mystique rose slowly from Elsa's dead body, twirling her spear in her hand casually. Magneto broke into a self-satisfied grin and Hellion sank to the floor in despair, hands clutching at his locks and mouth frozen in an 'o' shape.

His entire frame shook as the realization of his failure crashed down upon him, dragging him to his knees. Magneto nodded imperceptibly at Mystique and the blue hued woman stalked towards the telekinetic with spear in hand, a smirk upon her ruby red lips.

Elsa screamed in the control booth, trying to get Hellion to look up.

He didn't.

Mystique was only a foot away from him- spear aimed straight for his head- when it happened.

Hellion rose to his feet, slowly, as if he was moving underwater. He had his head bowed and his arms at his side, but he looked formidable and in that moment, Elsa feared for the blue woman's life. He clenched his fists and held them firmly by his sides as he rolled his shoulders and cocked his head to the side- basking in the toxic green glow that had begun to surround him. Streaks of green light emanated from his forma and danced around the dim room as he moved forward gracefully, his feet barely touching the ground. Mystique paused uncertainly and even Magneto didn't seem to comprehend what was happening.

The dark-haired mutant stood stoically in his place, roaring as he telekinetically tackled the blue shape shifter to the ground. Mystique rapidly changed her appearance to resemble Elsa, as her spear went flying out of her grasp and her body collided with the floor. Hellion didn't budge. His scream deepened and escalated in sound, and his neck bulged with the strain. His arms never left his sides, but his fingers twitched with ferocity, desperate to shred the blue mutant to shreds. Which is what he did. The green glow surrounding Mystique lifted her into the air and then tore her apart- or crushed her, Elsa couldn't bear to see.

All she knew was that his telekinesis had found a way to harm its victims. He could levitate, move and crush them now.

This was it.

He'd broken.

Hellion roared once more, the air rippling with his agonized cries, and the simulation faded away, leaving him spinning around in a daze in the middle of the empty room.

* * *

Elsa burst in through the doors to the Danger Room, pausing at the entrance to take in the lone mutant inside.

Had she killed him with that simulation? She hoped not.

Hellion turned slowly to face her, tears running freely down his face. His hair was ruffled crazily upon his head and his eyes were still tinged green from the after effects of his breakthrough.

They lit up when he saw the blond, and in a few swift movements he had her scooped up in his arms and was twirling her around the room.

'I did it!' he cried, tears choking his voice. 'It took everyone's deaths and yours combined- I'm so sorry- but I did it!'

Elsa laughed wryly, clasping his neck tightly as he spun around in haphazard circles.

Thank goodness he was okay. His childish euphoria was contagious, and soon she had a splitting beam across splashed across her face as well.

'I did it,' he murmured, setting her down. 'I really did. Did you see? Just like you thought I would'

Elsa chuckled softly, clasping his face with both hands and forcing his chocolate gaze down to hers.

'Julian,' she said, hoping her voice was laced with conviction.

He needed this.

'I knew you could.'

She gazed up into is warm brown eyes and knew she'd done it. Self-obsessed, over-confident Hellion was back.

About time.

'Whaaaat on earth is going on in here- oh,' Match's voice floated into the room- followed by his uncomfortable groans as he caught sight of the two mutants inside, locked in embrace. 'Erm, right- didn't know you guys were training. Sorry- I thought- erm, X sent me here… um, yeah so. Yeah. Okay. Bye, I'm going now. You two continue… uh, doing whatever. Yup. I'm going. Gone.'

Hellion shook his head in amusement, breaking himself from the trance he'd slipped into.

'Get out, Ben,' he chuckled as he watched the tanned mutant take his hasty leave, and then turned his attention to the blond beside him. 'And as much as I'd love to stare at you forever, we'd better go find X.'

Elsa blushed, mortified as he let go of her waist and sauntered towards the doors Match had just fled through.

'You jerk!' she called after his retreating figure, before she growled under her breath as she stalked after him, vowing to punch him down where the sun didn't shine so hard he could say bye-bye to populating the world with tiny egotistical versions of himself.

She'd be doing humanity a favor.

* * *

a/n: hey hey heyy... i'm still alive. before i go on tho- 50 reviews?! am i dreaming? what sorcery is this?

i love you guys and i'm so glad my story interests you all. every single review literally made my year- its like Christmas... but in August. such a lovely feeling you guys ROCK MY WORLD.

so i hope this chapter isn't too bad. i really wanted Elsa to make an impact on Julian.. he's so stiff with emotions and especially after his two failed attempts at romance Helsa needed an icebreaker. but then we couldn't have had Hellion running around being romantic- that would be creepy..

eugh..

so the final showdown is upcoming.. but I've made some alterations and the twist in the end got re-twisted. i'm still figuring it out so early apologies cause i'm sure the next chapter will take a while.

follow the story if you want to be updated when the next chapter comes. fave and follow, boys and girls! also.. keep reviewing :)

leave your ideas, comments, both negative and positive, criticism- the whole shebang.. dump it in a review please? :)

that's all for now.

until next time 3

PS: omgg someone noticed the 'James' thing- when Elsa tries to figure out Hellion's real name in North's workshop and ends up calling him James.. i just threw it in there for the fun of it- James is his brother's name- and someone actually noticed! omg.. awesome! **you. rock. **

PPS: Robin Williams died yesterday...i'm still getting over it :/ O, Captain.. my Captain!


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: none of these characters are mine- i do, however, own this amazing plot ;) just jokes. i mean the plot is mine- i'm just taking back the part where i said it was amazing. yeah. thassit. it's a bootiful likkle package of lovely surprises. i hope you laaaike :P**

**read review fave and follow 3**

* * *

Professor X was like a kettle.

He had a habit of being calm for extensive amounts of time before suddenly erupting at random moments.

This was one of those moments.

'Where on earth have you two been? We've all been convened in my office for the past hour waiting for you... and you, to join us! Pray tell me, what exactly was so important and required your immediate attention that you chose it over a WAR MEETING?!' the old man demanded in a rather loud voice for someone his age with such weak lungs.

He rolled his automatic wheelchair back into his office, stopping once to see if Elsa and Hellion were following.

'We were training, sir,' the telekinetic mumbled as a form of apology.

X merely huffed. His wheelchair moved excruciatingly slowly towards the center of the room, allowing the two mutants a few minutes to gather themselves.

'I knew we shouldn't have gone to the Danger Room,' Else whispered, poking a finger at Hellion's chest.

_Ow, his pecs were hard._

'Yeah well I'm glad we did,' he sniffed, haughtily, batting her finger away.

Kitty Pryde coughed politely.

'If you two are done..,' she trailed off, raising her brow at the young mutants.

Elsa winced and took a wary glance around the room. Hank and Wolverine were standing off to the side, in deep discussion with Toothiana about aerodynamics. Sandy was asleep in the armchair next to them and North was seated across from him, observing the mutants with a wry smile. Husk and Gambit were leaning against X's work table in what seemed to be companiable silence.  
Jack, Else was relieved to see, was curled up in a chair with a large book from X's library lying in his lap. He seemed grossed by its content.  
Bunnymund was busy crouching beside the fireplace and shooting death glares at everyone who dared look his way. His mood perked when he caught sight of the cryokinetic.

'Elsa, mate, help a poor bunny and get me to that field would ya?' he asked, straightening immediately and bounding towards her.

His accent nearly knocked her off his feet. He looked homesick.

_Poor cute bunny_, Elsa cooed in her head, not daring to say the words out loud. He'd boomerang her to oblivion without hesitation.

She peered past his shoulder and out the window behind him.

'That field?' she asked, pointing out at the training grounds.

The pooka warrior nodded in earnest, eyes wide and pleading.

'Husk, escort the kangaroo to the field,' Kitty interrupted exasperatedly. 'And where WERE you two?!'

Bunnymund took his departure, led by the strawberry blond mutant.

'Bustedd,' he muttered as he passed Elsa.

'In the Danger Room,' Hellion replied the Headmistress, teresely. 'Training like we were supposed to.'

The Headmistress exchanged looks with the professor.

'That's where the readings came from, Charles,' she whispered hurriedly.

X nodded sagely, chin perched upon tilted fingers.

'What happened there?' Pryde questioned, snapping her head round to glare at the two young mutants.

'Er, um we programmed a simulation,' Elsa stuttered, twisting her fingers anxiously.

X widened his eyes as he took in the new piece of information.

'So_ that's_ what it was,' he mused.

Elsa raised brow.

_What was going on with the Danger Room?_  
_Oh that reminded her.._

'Professor,' she ventured. 'The Room was acting... strangely.'

'How so?' Kitty interjected hastily.

'The simulation evolved on its own, without me having to program it,' Elsa shrugged.

Hellion gaped at her wide eyed while Kitty and X drew in sharp breaths.

'You didn't tell me that,' the telekinetic gasped.

'I thought it would be normal,' Elsa pouted. 'Clearly not.'

'Do you think its her again?' Kitty whispered to the professor.

'Possibly.'  
'Who?' Elsa frowned.

'Long time ago,' the professor began. 'The Shi'ar technology malfunctioned, or evolved in a sense, and the Danger Room became self aware. She became a humanoid mutant, whom we named Danger, and indeed she was a danger to our students. She has long since been eliminated as a threat, but we have feared she may rise again.'

'So the simulation was controlled by the Danger Room herself?' Elsa asked incredulously.

That's why the simulation killed X-23 and introduced Elsa into the scene. The Danger Room had decided upon that on its own. Maybe that explained the strange dark thoughts that had pestered her subconscious mind during the whole scenario. The feeling she had received from those thoughts was strong and heady, giving her a sense of... control. It had been upsetting, to say the least.

'We assume,' Kitty mused, shooting worried glances towards Wolverine who remained wholly oblivious to her.

'So you've got feathers, and tiny bird minions, am I right?' He was asking.

Toothiana cleared her throat impatiently and launched into a full blown description of what exactly these 'tiny bird minions' were.

Kitty nearly face-palmed again.

'We've got bigger problems though,' X said blankly, his mind churning as it processed the possibilities of Danger returning in her humanoid form.

'Them being?' Hellion asked, only to be treated with a chilling glare from the old man himself.

'Magneto of course. Dear boy, have you forgotten?!'

Hellion hastily made amends.

'Sorry sir, I thought you meant we'd found yet another enemy,' the telekinetic muttered apologetically.

'The possibility of that occurring is rather improbable,' the telepath answered teresely.

'Improbable,' a new voice interrupted. 'But not impossible.'

Angel flew in through a window, swooping to a halt beside the armchair Sandy was asleep in. He retracted his massive snow-white wings and ran a wearyhand through his golden yellow locks.

'Angel,' Elsa cried happily, leaping to her feet.

They hadn't seen the Recruiter for a while; ever since X had sent him to investigate all Magneto's recent activity. He'd been away in Manchester the last she'd heard about him, but according to gossip- or rather, Trance- he'd also made trips to Pennsylvania, but for what purpose no one knew.  
Maybe now they would find out.

'Angel you're back,' Kitty exclaimed, rising from her chair.

The others moved to accommodate the weary Recruiter. He stumbled around the furniture and finally collapsed into a chair beside North, barely even acknowledging the stares he was receiving.

'Well?' Toothiana asked, hands on hips. 'Did you find anything?'

Elsa remembered how upset she'd been when they'd decided to send Angel to investigate and not her. X hadn't trusted her then and even up till now the tooth fairy was displaying her dissatisfaction towards Angel's lone mission.  
Man, that woman could hold a grudge.

'Let me catch my breath first, bird-lady,' Angel grunted with a sigh.

Toothiana gasped and crossed her arms in disdain.

North shot her a reprimanding glare.

'Are you alright, Angel?' Hank asked in concern.

'Yeah man,' the mutant replied with a wry smile. 'Just drained, that's all.'

'Can you debrief now?' Wolverine growled in his gravely voice, without taking the ever present cigar from his lips.

'Sure,' Angel said, clapping his hands.

'So I was in Pennsylvania-,'

'Pennsylvania? But why?' Kitty interjected, raising a brow questioningly.

'Would you let me explain?' Angel sighed. 'So I was in Pennsylvania, and I'm telling you- some real shit went down there. I know you sent me to Manchester, but the magnet wasn't there-,'

'His name is Magneto,' X cried in exasperation.

'And I don't care!' Angel wailed, throwing his arms in the air.

'Let the boy complete his story,' North rumbled, rubbing his chin as he listened.

'Magneto wasn't in Manchester, it was a hoax. I caught word about him leaving for Pennsylvania yesterday and headed straight there and you won't believe it, but I swear the old man was trying to raise the dead,' Angel mumbled, rushing his words in order to prevent anyone from interrupting for a third time.

'He was trying to raise the dead?' Hank asked increduously.

'You mean he was engaging in a ritual of some sort?' the professor clarified, frowning in thought.

'Yeah I guess,' Angel shrugged. 'He had a few other mutants with him and there were doing some weird stuff. It was strange- really strange. And the atmosphere was almost... electrical. Like the air around then was charged.'

'You got that close?' Wolverine asked in awe.

Angel gave another noncommittal shrug.

'I've never been that close,' the Headmaster sighed, chewing slightly on his Cuban cigar.

'That's cause you're entire body screams 'metal' from a mile away,' Hank snorted. 'The adamantium acts like a beacon.'

'Does anyone care about the death ritual?' Angel ventured, lying back in the chair and shifting till he found a comfortable position.

'Yes please go on,' X said, nodding.

'Well, I was done... does anyone else have anything to say?' the Recruiter stated simply, gesturing to the others in the room.

'So let me get this straight,' Hank mused aloud, scratching his blue chin. 'He was raising the dead? Like real witchy stuff? No joke?'

'I swear man,' Angel said, crossing his chest with his index finger.

'Where in Pennsylvania?' Kitty asked.

'Um, quaint town. Goes by the name of Burgers? No Bogers... Boogers?' Angel wondered, snapping his fingers as he tried his best to recall the location where Magneto had conducted his 'ritual'.

'Burgess?' Jack spoke up, rising from his chair, paler than ever.

'Yes! That's it. Odd looking place,' Angel muttered, mostly to himself.

The occupants of the office swelled round to face the winter spirit.

'Jamie,' he whispered to himself.

'Oh is that where-,' North trailed off, exchanging wry glances with Toothiana.

'Well?' Wolverine growled impatiently. 'Anyone going to spill the beans?'

'What happened in Burgess, Jack?' Elsa asked.

'The battle,' the white haired boy mumbled uselessly.

'I have no clue what he's on about,' Wolverine grumbled, rolling his eyes skyward.

'He means the battle we fought not too long ago, against a formidable enemy that threatened to plague mankind,' North offered.

A look of worry crossed his usually jovial features. His beady eyes darkened and became steelier, casting from shadows upon his unsmiling face.

'How come we didn't know about this?' Wolverine demanded, frowning at X.

'Who was the enemy?' Hellion asked stiffly, ignoring the Headmaster.

'He's gone now,' Jack replied with equal formality.

'We defeated him successfully. Or rather his own nightmares caused his end,' Tooth explained.

'Wait, so this 'enemy'... he fought you guys in Burgess?' Elsa asked, frowning as she tried to piece things together.

'That battle isn't relevant to this, Blondie,' Hellion snorted rudely, crossing his arms over his chest.

Oh, so they were back to insults now. Alright then.

'Jeez Ken,' Elsa snarled. 'I knew you lacked common sense, but even an idiot can see this isn't just a coincidence!'

Hellion stiffened sharply, glaring down at her with electric brown eyes that danced with some unamed emotion.

'Ahem, you two,' Kitty warned in low tones.

'What's a coincidence?' North asked, frowning at the idea.

'You defeated a dangerous foe there... and Magneto is in the very same place digging up the dead? That's hardly coincidental- I'd say he knows what he's doing there,' Elsa replied, explaining her theory.

'You think he's looking for this... formidable enemy?' Wolverine scoffed, raising a brow dramatically.

'Who was this guy, anyway?' Hank asked North, referring to the man they'd battled in Burgess.

'He was more of a myth than a man. He was an entity, a symbolic representation of the oldest emotion of mankind: fear,' North began.

His voice filled the silent room- his thick, Nordic accent made the story sound foreboding as he relayed it. 'Pitch Black, he called himself. He was planning to shroud humanity in his cloak of darkness and condemn you all to suffer eons in fear, panic, distress and such. He was a monster- dealing with nightmares and fearlings to dominate the world. It took all of our efforts to turn the tables on him. His own fear caused his death.'

'On that happy note...,' Wolverine trailed off, tossing his cigar into a nearby waste-paper basket.

'This... Pitch guy, did he die in Burgess?' Elsa ventured.

The others caught onto her train of thought.

'You think Magneto is trying to revive Pitch Black?!' Jack stated flatly, glaring at her as if she was suggesting genocide.

'Well, maybe,' the blond replied with a tiny shrug.

'Is that even possible?' North wondered aloud.

'I hope not,' Toothiana grimaced, panic settling into her features.

'What was the ritual like?' the large red clad Guardian questioned, turning his burning coal gaze upon Angel.

The recruiter quivered under his glare.

'Um there were Magneto's cronies in long black cloaks, and they were in an alleyway, erm, they were saying stuff as well. Or singing. I'm not sure. They had large books in their hands, and were burning some sort of sand in a chalk circle.'

'That doesn't sound like something Magneto would do,' X frowned.

'Does _stalking down magic people_ sound like something Magneto would do?' Elsa pointed out sarcastically.

'Black sand?' Tooth asked suddenly, eyes widening. 'Was it black sand that they burned?'

Angel nodded.

'Nightmare sand,' North gasped, and the Sandman bolted upright in his chair at the mere mention of it.

'What's that?' Elsa asked curiously, eyeing the tiny yellow man warily.

He seemed disconcerted.

'Its what Pitch uses to taint Sandy's dreamsand. The nightmare sand gives the children bad dreams and spreads his fear,' Tooth explained wearily.

She looked as if she had aged a millennium in that moment. Her shoulders sagged and her wings drooped behind her.

'Was there anything else, Angel?' X asked, leaning forward in his wheelchair.

The Recruiter thought hard, replaying his memories so that the professor too could view it.

'Those symbols,' X said suddenly, referring to something he'd spotted in Angel's mind. 'Draw them out, Angel.'

Hank handed the Recruiter a small device with which the latter proceeded to draw upon one of the large computer screens suspended in the room.

North gasped as Angel completed the second diagram.

'Those are Nordic runes!' he exclaimed, pointing wildly at the pictures Angel had recreated.

'Whatever this ritual was, its ancient. And most probably related to your kind,' Kitty reasoned, glaring pointedly at the Guardians.

'So it IS possible that Magneto could be trying to revive Pitch Black,' Elsa concluded triumphantly.

However her joy at properly deducing the scenario didn't last long.

'If that is the case, then it is most unfortunate,' North sighed, running a large palm through his wild snow white beard. 'If Pitch Black returns; he will return stronger than ever and nothing would be able to stop him a second time. Not even the Guardians.'

* * *

'Do you _really_ think Magneto's raising Pitch?' Megan asked quietly, staring down at her hands.

The Paragons were huddled in her dorm, scattered around the room- Megan was curled upon the duvet with Trance, Match was lying across the desk that they were supposed to be doing their homework on, Elsa was pacing up and down beside the window, Surge was sprawled on the carpet, looking like she was half asleep and Hellion was perched on the edge of the desk (very majestically one might add), very studiously ignoring the pyrokinetic next to him.

'That's crazy,' Surge supplied from where she was lying on the floor.

Her blue hair framed her face like a halo, making her look like an extremely drugged angel who'd suffered a terrible fall from heaven.

'It seems very possible,' Trance mused.

'Not you too,' Hellion moaned. 'What's with everybody today? I mean seriously? Magneto can't raise a dead person!'

'Pitch Black isn't a person,' Elsa pointed out, arching a brow defiantly in the direction of the telekinetic.

'Oh what's with him and magic dudes? He's been hell-bent on finding magical beings as of late,' Trance mumbled, running a hand through her hazel locks.

Elsa paused at the window and stared outside, deep in thought. The pixie's words had stirred something in the back of her subconscious mind.

'So is Danger an imminent threat now?' Surge asked sullenly from the floor.

'According to Pryde and X, she isn't yet capable of turning into a human anytime soon… so we're safe _for now_,' Hellion replied, with equal grouchiness.

'Eesh, did we miss the notice, or did everybody know this was Grumpy Week?' Trance snapped, throwing a pillow off the bed and at Surge's face.

Elsa tuned them out, frowning to herself as she glared out the window accusingly, trying her best to pin down the thought nagging her at the fringes of her mind.

Outside, the training field was deserted; all the students had finished training for the day. The sun was setting slowly upon the school, throwing its final dusky rays over the tops of the pine trees dotting the ends of the field. The light filtered through the branches threw ridiculous shadows across the grounds- shadows that would've scared Elsa a few months ago. Shadows that would've reminded her of the monsters in her past. But now she'd seen worse.

A lone figure wandered the confines of the field, watching as the shadows grew as the sun sank lower and lower. Bunnymund seemed lost in thought as well. Probably wondering what he'd done wrong to end up in another realm entirely in such short time. His past experiences in the States weren't exactly exciting according to the picture North had painted.

Which brought her train of thought back to… Pitch. What on earth did Magneto have planned? Well, in all honesty, if the mutants knew they wouldn't be here standing around doing nothing. Who was this Pitch character? Was Magneto really planning to revive him? And for what purpose? Would Magneto use him to battle the x-men? That sounded a tad bit crazy, Elsa admitted. Besides, how did Magneto even _know_ about him? The X-men hadn't known about the battle the Guardians had fought until just now.

Unless Magneto had been searching for magic all along. The Man in the Moon did tell the Guardians that a strange man was searching for them. Sure, the X-men hadn't found out about the Guardians, but maybe Magneto had just known where to look. But why? What could he possibly want with them?

Was he recruiting magical beings? But he already had Scarlet Witch. Surely she was potent enough to fulfill whatever sinister plan he was concocting. Unless he needed more. To do what? Defeat the x-men?

_Pshhtt._

That's hilarious. The x-men had more powerful…

Elsa's mind nearly came to a complete stop right then and there. The x-men didn't have any magical beings on their side did they?

She could feel a panic rising in her chest, constricting her breathing- and what was worse was that she still couldn't figure out what she was feeling worried about.

Okay so the x-men didn't have any magical people on their side. Or even if they did, there weren't any left now. Except for her.

But Magneto wanted her as well. _**And**_ he wanted the Guardians. Which only meant- he wanted the x-men cornered. If the x-men had a showdown against pure magic… would the win?

Elsa could barely breathe as she turned to face her friends.

'You guys,' she murmured. 'I think I know what Magneto is planning to do.'

* * *

'You _sure_ about this?' Wolverine asked for the nth time.

'YES, Logan,' Kitty answered, strapping two large handguns into the holsters on her waist.

Without a moment's hesitation, she whipped her hair over her shoulder and headed out of the weapons unit.

'Everybody else ready?' she called. 'To the hangar! Let's hustle people; move it, _move it!_'

'Doesn't anyone think this is an irrational move?' Hank supplied, standing off to a corner beside the elevators so as not to interrupt the hustle taking place in the safe which held all the weapons in the X mansion.

'Hank,' Kitty murmured, pausing by the blue furry mutant. 'We have to move while we have the upper hand.'

With that, she swept out of the room and made her way into the open elevator, hastily punching in the floor number to the hangar where the Blackbird lay- prepped and ready for flight.

'Besides,' Elsa huffed; eager to console the technician as she strapped herself into the tight, protocol body suit. 'Magneto expects us not to have magic on our side. Its best we keep it that way and attack while we have the advantage.'

'If that's the case, why aren't you taking any of that _magic_ with you?!' Hank demanded, sighing in frustration.

'Yeah, take Santa and kangaroo guy!' Wolverine mumbled sarcastically. 'They'll be loads of help.'

'Knock it off,' Jack snapped, before turning to glare at the cryokinetic. 'Elsa this is crazy. At least take me with you.'

'No Jack, the Guardians must stay here. We're just moving in and containing Magneto before he raises Pitch to his full potential. We'll need you all for the final showdown,' Megan explained, a small smile gracing her otherwise nervous features.

She snapped a harness over her bodysuit and pressed the button on the wall to call for the elevator. 'You guys ready?'

Hellion and the rest of the Paragons nodded.

'This is all just CRAZY!' Hank muttered.

'If it's any consolation,' Trance replied sweetly. 'You guys don't have to experience Angel flying a plane.'

'Hey, hey, hey!' the Recruiter called over his shoulder, slipping a sharpened katana into the holster over his back. 'Don't. Ever. Diss. The pilot.'

Trance made a face at him and stepped into the elevator as the doors opened.

'Coming, anybody?'

Hellion brushed past her and stood by the back. Match and Elsa followed suit.

'X-23, you coming?' Megan asked, as she squeezed into the elevator.

'I'll stay this one out,' the she-wolverine replied, leaning against a steel table scattered with hand guns and bullet magazines.

'Laura,' Hellion started, reaching forward suddenly to hold down the button that kept the elevator doors open. 'You've got to be kidding me.'

'We'll need your expertise,' Elsa said begrudgingly.

As much as this woman got on her nerves, the cryokinetic had to admit that she was a valuable asset- an asset too valuable to be left behind at a time like this.

'I'm telling you,' X-23 replied stoically, glaring Hellion right in the eye. 'I'm staying back. This plan is crazy.'

'That's what I said,' Wolverine huffed to himself.

X-23 stared back at the mutants ready to embark on the impromptu mission with a strange emotion across her face.

It looked a lot like… pity.

Megan frowned at X-23 in displeasure and Hellion released the button he was holding. The doors slid shut and the elevator dropped. There was no going back now.

'Well… at least we're out in the field,' Match observed jovially, desperate to pick up the rapidly depreciating mood.

'Not yet we aren't,' Angel threw back, stepping into the hangar once they reached it.

Kitty Pryde stormed up to them.

'What took so long?' she snapped, continuing without waiting for their answer. 'Let's go, Hank is already at control. He'll send us the coordinates. The Blackbird's already programmed to fly itself, Angel, you'll just need to punch in the address and we'll be airborne. Oh, and if we hit a storm up there- our lives are on you.'

'Thanks for the prep, Kitty,' the blond man called back cheerfully. 'Real helpful.'

The bay doors opened slowly, filling the hangar with moonlight, illuminating the beauty that was the Blackbird, as she stood on her lonesome in the center of the room.

The aircraft was sleek and gun metal grey, with a strange nose akin to that of a porpoise- fine and long, protruding from an equally strange oblong head that narrowed down at the end to expand into large wings upon which two rocket shaped turbojet engines were situated. The group slipped into the jet and strapped themselves in. Kitty sat as co-pilot and Angel took the pilot's chair.

'I hope you know what you're doing,' Pryde murmured to the recruiter.

'Yeah, me too,' he grinned cheekily in reply.

Kitty snorted in amusement and flicked a switch that opened communications to Hank at control.

'Okay so I've already prepped her,' the technician mutant's voice crackled over the comms. 'And she's ready for hyper drive-,'

'_Hyper drive_?' Match interjected, whitening as he did so.

He clutched the sides of his seat unconsciously.

'Yes, you'll have to fly at hypersonic speeds if you want to get there in time to prevent the rise of the Pitch dude. That _is_ the point of this mission, yes?' Hank replied sullenly. 'And besides, it's only Mach 5.'

'I don't even know what that means,' Match whined.

'No time for second thoughts, kids,' Kitty said flatly.

'Get ready for vertical takeoff,' Hank advised them. 'Once you reach 4,000 feet the camo shields will activate. Till then, please don't fire up the engines- the sound will wake New Orleans.'

'We aren't in New Orleans,' Megan frowned.

'Exactly,' came the reply- and you could almost hear Hank's smirk.

The engines hummed silently as the jet rose off the tarmac, ascending straight up into the air without the standard 'gradual ascension' protocol.

'Alrighty boys,' Angel crowed from the pilot's chair. 'Let's go bust some dead guys.'

Kitty groaned. 'Hank, put us in hyper drive already.'

The answer came in short staccato sounds in between breaks of static.

'Can't- stop now… _descend_… incoming- …target locked! Back down… Angel you _idiot_- DESCEND!'

'What did he say? Descend?' the Recruiter gasped, hands flying across the various buttons ion the control board. 'How in Thor's name do I do that?!'

'Shit!' Match swore.

'What's going on?!' Trance demanded, straining against the harness strapping her firmly to her seat.

'I'm not sure,' Kitty broke off, peering through the glass screen before her- eyes widening slowly.

'Shit,' she said. 'Holy shit.'

And out of the night sky before them came two projectiles, burning and flaming, heading straight in their direction and locked on to the Blackbird.

They whistled through the air in super speed while the rest of the world tried to catch up, moving in slow motion. Kitty was pulling desperately at the control, trying to lift the craft higher into the air. Angel was swearing like his life depended on it- struggling to engage the Blackbird's defensive mechanisms.

Hank's distorted voice crackled incomprehensively across the comms, barking commands they couldn't understand.

Elsa watched as fear and panic gripped the mutants seated across from her, the evidence of their emotions seared into their facial expressions. She could barely hear Trance's screams. Match was hastily shouting something about teleportation to the pixie seated beside him.

Oh yes, Elsa thought sluggishly, as time slowed further. Megan could teleport groups of people.

But the pixie didn't seem to be in the right frame of mind. She was stuttering helplessly, fear clouding her obsidian black eyes.

Elsa turned to her right and felt herself trapped in the telekinetic's melting gaze. Hellion seemed the least disturbed- but she could never tell what he was feeling. Even when they weren't in a life or death situation.

Elsa let out a long withheld sigh.

Time sped up.

With a sickening screeching sound the missiles zeroed in on their target- crashing into the sleek hull of the Blackbird with a wrenching crunch. Seconds later the aircraft exploded, consumed by a ball of flames that sent it spiraling down to earth.

The last thing Elsa heard was Hank's voice on the comms- and it sounded like he was singing.

* * *

'She's awaaaake,' a voice gurgled.

'Oh thank gaaaawd,' said another- sounding vaguely like the Face of Boe from that TV series she'd once watched and gotten addicted to.

'Elsaa,' a third voice interrupted. 'Can you hear meee?'

Why did every one sound like they were gargling?

'_Ungh_,' the cryokinetic mumbled as she let her eyes flutter open.

She winced as she struggled to adjust herself to the bright lights shining into her face. Her vision blurred slightly and all sense of hearing vacated her, but within a few seconds her head cleared. Three concerned faces looked down at her. One was Kitty's- thoroughly scarred and blackened. The other was Hank and the third was Hellion. His warm brown eyes looked full of relief when she cracked a wry smile up at him.

'Don't _coma_ out on us again,' Megan's voice floated out from somewhere to the left, reminding her of the time she'd fought her first battle and slipped into an unconscious state afterwards.

Elsa groaned as she turned her head to her left. 'How long was I out?'

'Not too long,' Hank replied.

'Am I broken?'

'No too badly.'

'Gee thanks.'

Hank winked back.

'What happened?' Elsa asked, groggily struggling to sit up.

'Missiles,' Wolverine answered simply, from his perch on a small stool.

'Where's Angel?' Trance asked, rubbing her arm.

It was in makeshift cast, but she seemed to be getting over the pain already.

'He… he didn't make it,' Wolverine answered gruffly, shooting a wary glance at Kitty Pryde who slapped him across the arm in return.

'Don't be ridiculous!' the Headmistress snapped harshly. 'He's out with the professor, discussing the attack.'

Megan rocked her feet off the edge of the bed, nursing the burns on her waist.

'Was it Magneto?' she asked. 'Was it him who sent the missiles?'

'We assume,' Kitty replied tactfully.

'But… but how did he know we were going to be in the Blackbird?' Match frowned.

Megan shot him a glare.

'What?' he asked, raising a brow. 'I mean, it's a good question. We _just_ planned this mission.'

'That's what we've been wondering,' Kitty murmured, glancing away from her students momentarily.

Hellion watched her reaction carefully. He frowned suddenly and then looked at Wolverine. The Headmaster grunted as they had some sort of silent conversation in their minds.

'You think we have a mole,' the telekinetic said after a few seconds of mute debate.

Wolverine grunted again.

'A what?' Match looked aghast.

'A mole,' Hellion repeated, pinning Kitty with his eyes. 'A rat. A traitor- a spy within the ranks.'

'That- that can't be possible,' Trance murmured, half to herself. 'Who would do this? None of us, surely.'

Wolverine just shrugged.

'Think about it,' Hellion said, as he paced the room, ignoring the smoldering wounds across his chest. 'Only we knew about this mission. It was very last minute. It was only us.'

Elsa gulped. 'And X-23.'

Silence held the room in place for a full minute and a half.

'You think Laura's the mole,' Hellion deadpanned.

'Think about it,' Elsa replied, shooting his own words back at him. 'Besides us, she was the only one who knew about the mission.'

'That's real crazy, Blondie,' Hellion seethed, a sudden anger replacing the curiosity in his eyes. 'You've outdone your quota for most- amount- of- crazy- shit- said- today. Well done.'

'You think I'm lying?' Elsa gasped angrily, leaping off the stretcher she'd been lying in, ignoring the sharp stings of pain emanating from her shoulder.

'I think you're jealous,' Hellion shot back, with equal fervor.

'Of you?! No_ frickin'_ way!'

'This is ridiculous.'

'No, Ken- listen to me! Listen to reason. She is the only other person who knew about the plan other than Wolverine and Hank. The others all got harmed in the plane. She also refused to join us on the mission. Who else do you think it is? The professor? The plan was very, very last minute- not a soul heard it.'

'That is logical, Julian,' Kitty mumbled, refusing to look the boy in the eye.

'So what?' he roared. 'You're going to lock her up now?'

'We already have,' Pryde snapped blankly. 'X-23 is in impermanent lockdown inside the Danger Room.'

* * *

a/n: well, well,_ **well**_, whatcha think about that?

i actually have nothing to say for myself. its like this story has a mind of its own. i swear it has a mind of its own and its just using me as a host to type itself out and make its presence known to the world. kay- i'm being over dramatic.

oh but the _reviewsss_.

such beauty.

i was doing some serious work when i saw a few of them pop up and i literally dropped everything and shot over the rainbow. oh gawsh you guys make me blush.. stahp.

hope you like the new chapter. it was going to be just a filler and i was going to end it when Elsa figured out Magneto's motives... but then all **this** hit me when i was having a shower and i literally RAN out of there and scribbled the idea onto a scrap of paper and wrote it out- an hour max. i have it all planned. oh i'm so excited you guys are in for it.

_nothing is as it seems and the stakes are even higher as threats of global warfare threaten two worlds- both magic and mutant. will anyone survive? what si going on? nobody knows not even the author- oh the joys of improvisation._

hee hee such drama.

review some more- tell me your thoughts i always love to hear them. two new readers- epic ones, at that. strange-Felicity and Grace-kelly i think.. sorry if i misspelled. you guys are so enthusiastic :3 you made me so excited. i can't even believe it. wow. thank you- so- so- MUCH. reviews always make me feel better and really inspire me. thanks a whole lot you guys. i'm crying and blushing at the same time, just so you know. wow. i love you guys. all of you.

group hug- get here ya'll :")

PS- everyone please tell me you picked up the Doctor Who reference there... if you didn't- well, at least_ pretend_ you did.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: oh i shouldn't have to do this- i quite obvious i don't own anything apart from a computer, a fanfiction account and a brain intent on procrastinating big-time.**

**read and review, lovelies. sorry for the delay.**

* * *

If X-23 could have reversed time she would've done so without hesitation and slapped Kitty Pryde full in the face.

And maybe clawed her eyes out.

That woman thought she was a conniving, sleazy mole?

Rubbish.

She was far above such dirty work. Plus, if she ever did become a spy- she'd be too darn good at it for them to find her out.

So what the hell was she doing locked up in the Danger Room?!

The she-wolverine knew it was no use try to fight her way out of the room. Given the room's volatile nature and its semi-self aware tech, it would equate to suicide if one tried to destroy it.

And she wasn't suicidal... yet.

X-23 paced the steel grey floor, musing silently about the events of the evening.

That stupid plan of Elsa's had backfired after all. She felt that coming- call it her inner animal's sixth sense. She was no undercover rat, but she knew when something was going to go terribly wrong.

But what about the missiles? Even she knew that it seemed far too suspicious to overlook. It was true that no one else had known about the mission, and that she was the only possible suspect.

But it wasn't her. She knew that much.

But it would be a hard time getting them to understand.

Which was why she needed to figure this out herself and then- and then she needed to talk to Hellion.

Hellion.

The leather clad mutant paused I front of an overhead camera installed to watch her and made a face at it. Ha, deal with that Ice Queen.

Stupid blonde girl.

Where had she come from and what had she done to her Julian? She was new, she didn't belong here, she had magic and no one knew anything about her-why wasn't she locked up and accused of treason?!

But deep down inside, X-23 knew she was wrong. As much as she despised the cryokinetic, she knew that the new girl was powerful. Too powerful to do something stupid like spying.  
X-23 felt bile rising in her throat and decided it was time to stop complimenting the very mutant who was responsible for tearing apart her love life- as much a lie as that was...

But that left the question- who was the real mole?

X-23 ran her hands through her raven black hair, unknotting the lengthy strands from each other. She frowned as she began pacing again, glaring at the floor while she puzzled it out. She was cleverer than most people thought she was. They always pinned her down for the brawny type- with no brains, while in fact her IQ was far above the average.  
She sniffled slightly, walking in circles for five minutes straight until it hit her.

She knew who the mole was... and what a surprise.

She could barely contain her emotions. She needed to warn X and the others.

But how?

She groaned as she pondered the practicality of blaming the allegations placed on her... upon another. Maybe if she got their attention first...  
X-23 glanced back at the security camera and then at the room around her.  
Well- it was time to get suicidal.

* * *

'Hey, Els?' Megan whispered, tiring beside her friend on a stretcher laid out by Hank in front of the massive touch screen showing the events in the Danger Room.

Elsa hadn't moved an inch after they'd set up the camera and linked it to the medical bay.

She had sat herself in front of the screen and stayed there. Hellion had stormed out once they'd linked the camera and was fuming to himself in the corridor just outside.

Wolverine had gone out to accompany him while Kitty and Hank had left wordlessly- most probably to asses the damage done by the explosion of the Blackbird. they were yet to receive word of the craft's status.

'Yeah?' the cryokinetic mumbled back, eyes never leaving the screen.

Megan flicked her gaze to the TV before her and watched as X-23 paced around the Danger Room on the tape.

'Can you believe it's her?!' the pixie said in wonder, shaking her pink bangs.

'It may not be,' Elsa replied sullenly.

The light from the screen flickered in her face; reflecting off her eyes and making her blue irises seem incandescent.

'You don't seem to like that it might be her,' the pixie observed.

'That's cause it might not,' Elsa muttered.

'I thought you hated her?' Megan asked softly, reaching out to grasp her friend by the hand.

'That was you, Megs,' Elsa laughed wryly.

'Oh.'

'Yeah.'

'So... you think she might be innocent?'

'Yup.'

'If not her- then who?'

'I dunno.'

Elsa paused. 'There is a chance that there isn't a mole at all.'

Megan laughed outright at that.

'What?' Elsa asked, frowning.

'Nothing,' Megan replied hastily, composing herself. 'I'm sure there's a spy. And whoever it is _must_ be punished, Els. Before things get worse.'

'How much worse could _this_ get?!' Elsa exclaimed tiredly. 'Look at us- we're falling apart. My head feels like an elephant's sitting on it and we all look **terrible**. I don't think I'll be able to stay awake any longer. I feel half-dead!'

'What on earth is she doing?!' Megan half-screeched suddenly, glaring at the screen before them, accusingly.

Elsa froze in place as she took in the proceedings on the TV.

X-23 was slashing at every inch of the Danger Room that she could reach. Her strong adamantium claws ripped through the walls relentlessly, tearing the metal apart like as if she was slicing through butter. Her face was contorted into a savage snarl, raven hair flying around her face wildly as she swirled around the room in a merry dance. Her muscles rippled under the confines of her leather clothing and her lips were pulled taut around her snarling teeth. Elsa watched her movements and actions without batting an eyelid. What was the woman doing?  
This crazy row of hers was just going to make matters worse.  
It wasn't helping that she was trying to break out.  
Her informal charges of treason weren't going anywhere what with this new development. For some reason Elsa couldn't find it in her to harbor hatred towards the she-wolverine. Even though the accused spy had probably been part of the missiles that had nearly taken their lives, Elsa remained surprisingly neutral- instead of bristling with anger she just felt extremely exhausted.  
And now, watching X-23's feral activities in the Danger Room, she had to struggle to restrain herself from sighing tiredly.

She didn't realize that the room had fallen into a tense silence and only looked up from her shoes when she heard Trance's breathy gasp.

The blond glanced at each of the faces of the occupants of the room and followed their gazes to the flat screen depicting X-23's rant.

A gasp of her own rose from the depths of her and burst through her lips, unbidden.

The wolverine clone was standing in the middle of the trashed up training room, panting heavily. The room sizzled and smoked- already suffering the repercussions of her tyrannous raid.

But something else caught Elsa's attention.

The gashes scratched into the metal walls around the mutant hadn't been placed at random.

Upon further scrutiny it was clear that the wreckage spelled out...her name.

The capital E glared out through the screen at the cryokinetic as if taunting her.

Elsa relented.

She let out her long repressed sigh.

'What does she want?!' Match snapped quickly, eyes squinting in disgust. 'More evidence that she's pure evil?'

'Match, calm down,' Trance muttered.

'Maybe it's a message?' Elsa wondered aloud.

'As in- you think she's trying to say something to us?' Megan asked, suspiciously.

Elsa repressed yet another sigh and rose unsteadily to her feet.

The healing serum had done little to reduce the pain, meaning that she still felt violent tremors course up her spine whenever she moved a muscle.

Staggering, she made her way to the exit.

'Where are you going?!' Megan exclaimed.

'To see her,' Elsa replied simply.

'Are you barking mad?!' Match screeched, his voice jumping an octave higher.

'Well, she did call out for me,' the blond reasoned, raising a shoulder indifferently.

'She carved your name into the wall!' Trance shot back.

'I'd call that a call,' Elsa replied exasperatedly.

'I'd call that a THREAT!' Trance groaned, throwing her arms in the air. 'Don't go, Els.'

'Yeah,' Megan agreed. 'I'll go.'

'Megs ! No way!' Match cried, leaping from his stretcher.

'C'mon, Match I'm not helpless. I can handle her. Plus I'm way more healed compared to Els. Black magic, remember,' the pixie explained. 'Its healing properties are marvelous. Plus X-23 won't be expecting it so if she has a plan to harm Elsa it won't work.'

The other remained silent.

Seeing this as an unvoiced vote of agreement, Megan took the opportunity to slip out of the sick bay and head down towards the Danger Room.

* * *

The doors hissed open with a pneumatic hiss. On usual days, Megan wouldn't have given a second thought to the sound- but now it felt ominous. She stepped cautiously into the Danger Room and met the she-wolverine's glare head on.

'You?!' X-23 asked, visibly paling.

Megan's lips twisted into a grim sneer.

'Too bad for you, huh?' the pixie muttered, allowing the doors to seal shut behind her.

'I- I asked for the ice-girl,' X-23 stammered, backing slowly away from the black-eyed mutant before her.

'Clearly your demands fell on deaf ears,' Megan replied, unsheathing her soul-dagger.

X-23 glared at the glowing pink weapon in trepidation. Summoning the final ounces of her courage she allowed her claws to slide out of her clenched fists.  
In one last desperate wild dash for hope she swiveled to face the camera watching over her and shouted out for anyone ready to hear her.  
But before she managed to utter a comprehensible word, the camera shattered into bits and pieces, raining showers of sparks upon her.

'What the-?' the she-wolverine turned to stare open mouthed at the pixie.

'Wasn't me,' the violet haired girl replied impishly.

X-23 jumped slightly, startled by the revelation.

She looked around the room sadly. There was only one other who was able to control the room in such a way and if that person had been able to destroy the camera...then she'd already lost her fight.

'You're a smart one, aren't you?' the pixie was muttering. 'Too smart for your own good.'

Taking in the sealed door, the busted camera, the maniacal pixie and the slowly transforming Danger Room, X-23 drew up a final conclusion.

If she was to go down- she'd go down fighting.

Only one would make it out alive from this, she knew that much.

Roaring for her past, for her mistakes, for the life she wished she'd lived, for the lies she had to spin and for the pain she had to endure, for what she lost and what she never had, for the opportunities she'd missed and the ones she'd let go to waste, for what she had had with Hellion and what she did to it, for all her fears and all her weaknesses...for everything she had failed to do and everything she had yet to do- X-23 stormed towards the girl before her with nothing but pure, unadulterated murder in her dark, depthless eyes.

* * *

The lights flickered in the sick bay, alerting the others that something was wrong. The X mansion rarely ever had power cuts- thanks to Hank's impressive technology- so whenever the electricity failed it usually meant something suspicious was going on.

The mutants in the sick bay filed out in search of any administrative staff to report the problem to.

'We'll head on up to the offices,' Match began, grasping Trance by the forearm. 'Could you go grab Megan?'

Elsa nodded slowly, watching the way the pyrokinetics's eyes shone with concern for the pixie.

Megan really was oblivious wasn't she?

Match was smitten with her.

Smiling sadly at the cuteness that was Maxie (a ship name she'd come up with on the spot), Elsa trudged hurriedly towards the Danger Room.

She turned into corridor upon corridor, twisting and weaving her way through the school, lost deep in thought, until she slammed bodily into a wall that had unsuspectingly popped up before her.

'Holy cow watch it mister' she gasped out, breathlessly, before looking up to meet an equally irritated gaze that literally melted her from the inside out.

'Jul- Hellion,' she breathed.

He didn't move.

In fact, Elsa realized belatedly, he hadn't even stepped an inch away from her. The telekinetic merely glared down at her pale face with a strange glint in his chocolate eyes and didn't bother moving his body away from where it was pressed firmly against hers.

To say her breath hadn't hitched and her fingers hadn't begun to tremble was a lie. Elsa whimpered quietly.

'Are you okay? Are you in pain? You look terrible- what are you doing out?'

The words tumbled out of Hellion as soon as he noticed her distress- pouring from his lips before he even had time to process them. He watched as her crystal blue eyes widened ever so slightly- and decided that he didn't feel bad for what he'd just said. To hell with the mutual hatred thing they thought they had going on- he didn't like seeing her hurt and she sure as hell was going to know that.

'Something's wrong,'' Elsa mumbled, pulling herself out of the trance she'd slipped into no sooner the caring words had left the telekinetic's lips.

'Say what?' Hellion frowned, completely sidetracked by the new revelation.

'Something's wrong, come on,' Elsa repeated, tugging the mutant by his arm as she continued her hasty trip to the Danger Room. 'Must get Megan.'

'Is there a specific reason as to why you're not even speaking in complete sentences?' Hellion asked, squinting at her in askance.

Elsa didn't reply.

She dragged them down the lonely corridor leading to the training room and prepared herself for what might have happened in there.

The camera had lost contact with the screen in the sick bay just as soon as the lights had started flickering.

This couldn't have been a coincidence. Elsa didn't believe in such things.

Which only meant Megan was in trouble.

The doors to the training room suddenly burst open, flying off its hinges and crashing into the wall opposite. Smoke poured out of the gaping hole leading into the room and the sinister crackling of electricity sounded up the corridor.

Elsa stared, aghast, as she paused in the middle of the corridor.

Hellion stiffened at her side.

A quivering figure rose from the rubble surrounding the hole where the doors once were, and stood on shaky feet.

The pink mess atop the mutant's head was unmistakable.

'Megan,' Elsa cried, but the words got stuck in her throat.

Hellion clasped her wrist tightly. Something wasn't right.

'What's going on? Where's X-23?' he called uncertainly.

The pixie frowned at them in slight confusion but then shook herself and began to smile.

'Elsa,' she murmured softly. 'And you- Hellion.'

Elsa decided that she didn't like the way Megan purred his name.

'What a surprise,' the pixie continued, breathily. 'Didn't expect an audience, but oh well.'

'What are you going on about?!' Hellion demanded, leaping forward in agitation.

'Let's just say, Elsa, that your competition had been eliminated,' Megan replied simply, hopping daintily over the rubble and using her wings to propel herself closer to the duo.

'What happened to X-23?!' Elsa whispered.

Hellion jumped beside her, his eyes darting from the pixie to the blond.

'What did you do, Megan?' Elsa's voice was dangerously low.

'I did you a favor, really,' the pink haired mutant seethed distastefully. 'She was a clever one though I'll give her that. I couldn't have her ruining the plan. But now since you guys are here i'll scrap it and get straight to part II.'

'What. Are. You. Doing?!' Elsa whispered in monotone, glaring daggers at the girl she'd grown to love.

'What I was born to be doing.'

'Killing innocent people?!'

Hellion gasped at Elsa's words, as if now only realizing that X-23 was dead.

'Didn't think I could do it, eh?' Megan retorted, her expression shadowed by an unnamed emotion.

'You...you're the spy,' Hellion deadpanned, deep brown eyes staring desolately at the pixie who was now a few feet away from them.

'Megan...,' Elsa murmured, painfully. 'Why are you doing this?!'

'STOP!' Megan screamed suddenly. 'Stop talking to me like that! Like as if I'm some small child who doesn't know what she's doing- just STOP. This is exactly why I hate this place. I LOATHE the X-Men. You people are just self righteous pricks. You say you're training warriors but you treat us like children. Treat ME like a child. You've all looked at me like i was lesser than you. Oh poor, naive little Pixie. She's just a kid with wings. So's Angel! But he gets respect. I just get laughed at- I get the condescending looks. But I'm strong, I'm stronger than most of you!'

'Megs you don't have to prove that,' Elsa began hastily, attempting to approach the fuming mutant.

'YES I DO! Stay away! Stay AWAY or I'll hurt you too!' the pixie screamed throatily. 'See the dagger? It's pure black magic. It's so potent even a tiny nick from this is enough to drop you ALL on your asses. It's a part of me. Part of who I am. But everyone told me to hide it- to pretend like it wasn't a part of my SOUL. You don't know how strong I am! I survived Limbo ALONE! No one knew what happened and no one cared. Obviously it couldn't have been too harsh, could it'? Little Megs couldn't have lives if it was brutal! You underestimated me, X-Men... Magneto doesn't think that way. He believes in everyone of our kind. Even the accidents.'

'Megan, what are you-,' Hellion was cut short by the appearance of a second figure in the shadows of the Danger Room.

The silhouette was tall and rather bulky, crackling with strange sounds and shards of electricity.

And then it stepped into the flickering light.

The mutant was deep blue, with strange green markings along its metallic body that reminded Elsa of computer motherboards. Strange wires protruded from random places and also out the back of its skull- serving as hair. The wires sparked with crackles of electricity and the glint in its yellow eyes screamed defiance.

And danger.

_Even the accidents…_

Elsa knew who this was.

'What have you done?' She asked slack-jawed as she watched the lights flicker rapidly due to the newcomer's presence.

'Cool trick huh? Hank isn't the only one with tech- Magneto has his own people,' Megan replied smarmily. 'Now I'd love to stay and chat, but- duty calls. The cover is blown... that means a hasty retreat for me.'

The pixie summoned Danger towards her and flashed the cryokinetic and the telekinetic a final triumphant smirk.

'Oh and Els?' She called over her shoulder. 'Pity you didn't act like the leader you were supposed to be and made me go in there instead of you going yourself like X-23 asked you to, eh? Things might've ended...differently.'

Hellion gaped at the blond in shock.

Elsa cringed internally, damning the fates for her faults.

With the final word in, Megan snatched Danger's arm and teleported them away.

Hellion couldn't even make a move to stop her.

He cast one last glance at Elsa and walked away in silence.

And that was enough to break Elsa's heart into a million pieces.

'Hellion, I- I...,' the cryokinetic began, her heart racing as the boy turned her way.

She felt the urgent need to set things right but had no clue what to say. Should she apologize? But for what purpose? She had done no wrong. It wasn't and had never been in her place to decide who did what. She never was responsible for any of the other mutant's acts. Megan had offered to check up on X-23 and no one would've expected the turnout.  
And if anyone was to be held responsible it should be Hellion himself. After all, they all were members of his team.  
But she needed to say something- anything. Maybe sympathize with his loss. She understood pain...she'd too suffered many losses. But he wouldn't like her sympathy. He'd take it for pity and he'd hate himself for being weak enough to have received it. She couldn't hurt him like that.  
But would he hate her? Now that the fact that his one and only emotional attachment was no more was her fault.  
But was it really? Even though Elsa felt guilty, there was nothing holding her responsible for the death of the she-wolverine.  
The mutant before her met her silent gaze head on. He probably saw her internal conflict in her eyes and maybe that's what made him turn away in disgust.  
Was it disgust? Or hatred?

'Hellion,' she croaked once more, stiffly turning to watch as his figure began to retreat once again.

Her muscles ached and her entire being felt sore. The weight of the day's events had yet to settle upon her, and she struggled to comprehend the implications of Megan's actions through the haze induced by the overload of morphine and healing serums. Her head spun with every move she made to catch up to the telekinetic, but she refused to let him walk away.  
He needed a friend- now more than ever before, and even though she'd proven to be the worst friend one could ever had (not to mention, the worst sister),

Elsa knew she was the only person closest to a friend that Hellion had left.

The dark haired boy paused at the sound of her distressed cry and turned hesitantly. With a sudden sigh, he spun on his heel and marched over to the blond mutant, the muscles in his jaw straining as he tried not to be too affected by the near death look she was sporting.  
Slipping strong arms beneath her shoulders and the back of her knees, Hellion lifted Elsa against her will and began moving the two of them to the main building.

'Let me down! Hellion I'm sorry about what happened but please let me talk! I'm really very sorry- Hellion, DOWN!'

'Calm the eff down, woman,' the mutant growled back, frowning as he effortlessly took the stairs two by two, hurriedly leaping up the stairway leading to the Heads' offices. 'I'm not abducting you.'

'Oh,' Elsa murmured under her breath.

Hellion rolled his eyes and cursed quietly.  
'Don't be an idiot, Elsa, why would I hurt you?' he grunted as he came to a pause before Kitty Pryde's office door.

Elsa didn't answer.

'Besides- you don't have to explain anything. At least not to me. Tell everyone else what happened.'

Elsa understood the unsaid statement. He didn't want to have to talk about X-23's death...at least, not yet.

Slowly, he set her down on her feet, gave a firm nod and shot her a wry smile, and proceeded to barge into the room.

* * *

The expressions upon the faces of the occupants of the room were priceless to say the least. Elsa watched as the information sunk in. Kitty had paled greatly and was clutching the edge of her desk with such fervor she nearly ripped out a chunk of wood. Wolverine had balked and was now chewing vigorously on a new cigar. Match and Trance had been rather stubborn in believing what they'd told them about Megan, but soon understood the truth in their words once Hank confirmed the damage in the Danger Room and the loss of its intelligence unit.

'So Danger is on the loose?' Trance asked, appalled.

'She's with Pixie,' Hellion muttered, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.

'And… X-23?' Kitty whispered. 'What about her?'

Elsa shot a glance at the telekinetic and then turned to face the Headmistress. 'She was defeated by Megan, ma'am. We assume she went down in a fight.'

'This is preposterous!' Wolverine roared, smashing a fist into the desk and leaving a rather large splintered hole. 'A student of _ours_… a **spy**- impossible! She was theirs all along? And we didn't know? This is ridiculous. How is this possible?'

Kitty flinched at the sound of his booming voice.

'Somebody please go inform the Professor,' she said blankly.

'Shouldn't he know already?' Match demanded, a fire burning deep in his eyes.

'Match, please,' Pryde stated with a sharp glance towards the pyrokinetic.

The tanned mutant held her glare and slowly exited the room with a scowl.

'This is tragic,' Kitty murmured, sparing Hellion a cursory glance. 'But we cannot waste much time on grievances. If Magneto has been relying on Megan for intel then it is sure that he is aware of our alliance with the Guardians.'

'Someone must tell them what has happened,' Elsa muttered.

'Later,' Kitty replied dismissively.

The Headmistress spun around and walked to her chair behind the desk.

'Wake the students, ring the staff- convene a meeting in the Hall. Gather everybody there- Hellion, you must bring them up to date with the happenings. Elsa, go with him. Assemble what is left of the teams we created and bring them to the Professor's office after you've finished briefing the students. Logan, find the Professor and bring him to his office, I will be there soon. Hank, ensure that Cerebro is on lock-down. Secure the Danger Room and shut down whatever is left of the Shi'ar tech. also, make sure that everything is accounted for. We don't know what else Megan may have had access to. You two, do you have anything else to report?'

Elsa looked toward Hellion and then back at the Headmistress.

'No ma'am. Although we must add, Megan was keen on utilizing her Dark Magic. Are we aware of its potencies?'

Kitty paused uncertainly and cast a weary glance at the wolverine beside her.

'No,' she whispered, falteringly. 'But we know some one who does.'

Elsa watched as Kitty snatched a brown coat off a stand and swung it over her shoulders. Once she had i safely wrapped around her strong frame, she pulled a fedora low over her forehead and made her way to the door in a hurry.

'Kitty,' Wolverine called with a frown, spitting his cigar far across the room. 'Last minute plans are terrible. Where are you going?'

The Headmistress paused at the door, her body half out and half in. she cast a weary glance around the room and finally gazed straight at the Wolverine himself.

'We might not know anything about Megan's powers- but I know someone who might.'

'Oh yeah?' Wolverine shot back, clearly unhappy with her decision to go out on the spur of a moment. 'Well who're you gonna find anyway?'

The Headmistress smirked and replied with a single word;

'Bobby.'

* * *

a/n: so so so sorry about the delay. I had everything planned and expected to take only a day writing this chapter... but it was so hard. i hope it's nice enough. don't kill me, please. i think i planned it out a liittle too much. there wasn't any spontaneity in the writing process. never again, i tell you!

he he so anyway. review, fave and follow for more. i'll be back with a new chapter soon. the final battle awaits!

anyway.. who caught the new DOCTOR WHO episodes yesterday? :D fabulous eh? i miss Matt Smith horribly tho... i can't believe I've gotten so attached :'(

moving on- leave your responses as reviews.. and i'll give out free hugs next time :P

watcha say?

let's make it 80?


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING.  
**

**oh.. and a little note before you continue- this story is in two parts. the first part, in which i deal with a little... emotions, has music to go with it. you need not listen to the music while reading the part.. but i listened to those songs while writing the part so i just thought i'd share it with you guys as well. **

**so in Match's part- Somewhere Only We Know by Keane. **

**in Hellion's part- Fix You by Coldplay**

**and in Elsa's part- Coming Up Strong by Karmin**

**that's all.. happy reading. **

* * *

**part i**

* * *

_Stars._  
They usually calmed him. On other days, he'd stare up at them and relieve his conscience of its troubles. They filled the endless sky, blinking in the rapidly fading darkness. Color tinged the furthest reaches of the vast expanse above his head, threatening to chase away the night completely and allow the day to take full reign.

The stars winked merrily away, as if oblivious to the tragic events of the past hours or so. They twinkled gaily in their place, burning thousands and thousands of miles away and did nothing to console him.

All they did was make Match feel small- lost, lonely and very, _very_ small.

He stood still in the far end of the training field, close to the watchful line of pine trees, watching the stars intently as he felt every part of him crumble. His lower lip wobbled slightly as he traced the constellations in his mind's eye.

He dared the déjà vu feeling to rise. He could almost feel the comforting presence beside him from the last time he'd stood in this very place- outlining a certain other mutant's star sign.

He remembered why this place had felt special.

It was somewhere only they knew.

Somewhere only they cared for.

_Not anymore...__  
_

He felt a deadweight tug at the pit of his stomach and the reason as to why he was out here , freezing his ass off, came crashing back to him so fast it managed to squeeze a few weary tears from between his eyelids.

He made a sound that came close to somewhere between a grunt and a snarl and finally allowed the sobs to wrack his body.

Weakly, Match lowered himself to his knees and clutched handfuls of dirt in both palms.

Was this the place they used to love?

He took in a deep ragged breath in between his sobs and relinquished the strong scent of the pine and the fresh grass. The smell took him back in time.

To a time where he nearly had all he'd ever wanted.

And now she was gone.

Had he truly not known the _real_ her all this time?

Had she really been lying?

Was what they had shared all a lie.

Wasn't she the one he used to love?

_Used_ to?

Where had that come from?

Match looked around himself blankly, taking in the barks of the pine trees, the grass sprouting from beneath his knees, the cloudless night sky and finally, the brightly burning stars that shone so bright in that moment that he nearly cried again.  
He decided then, that he still loved her.

And for some reason he felt that he would never stop.

* * *

The chatter in the hall had begun to fade out and someone had started explaining the incidents from earlier in the night. Hellion couldn't hear anything though. In fact he could barely feel anything. He stumbled out of the hall and leaned heavily against a marble pillar, eyes roaming the hallway as if intent on catching sight of something his mind was sure he would never see again.

That was a lie.

He could still see her.

_Of course_ he could. He nearly laughed- it was ridiculous to think he couldn't.

With a strange grin upon his lips, Hellion dragged himself to the Danger Room. He brushed wordlessly past Hank, who was busy investigating the Shi'ar technology to actually pay attention to him.

Or so he thought.

He wasn't really paying attention himself; all he could see was _her_.

She wasn't gone.

She was still there. She wouldn't leave him.

Hellion wanted to laugh so badly, but his mind was too numb to coordinate his facial muscles. Instead, he grunted. Kneeling slowly, he laid his fingers tentatively upon her forehead.

She didn't move.

She was lying amidst the rubble, her body twisted awkwardly, surrounded in a pool of dark, dark blood.

She was still. _Too still._

Slowly, Hellion traced a solitary finger down her cheek and left it to rest upon her chin. He looked into her blank dark orbs and decided he could fix her.

She'd come back.

He'd fix her.

Slowly, so as not to hurt her, Hellion lifted X-23's head onto his lap and sat cross legged beside where she lay. He ran a sweaty palm through her hair and apologized when it got stuck in a particularly tangled area. She didn't seem to mind.

He observed her expression, a steely look of determination and hardened resolve. A look he'd grown to admire...and after a while, even love.

It had only been an hour since the fight, but he wanted her back already.

No, he needed her back.

He told her that.

She didn't reply. Maybe she was tired. He kissed her nose.

She was cold.

A single droplet of water plopped onto her paling cheek, seemingly from nowhere._ It was raining_, he realized sullenly.

Another drop of salty water found its way onto her face.

He kissed them away.

He wished she could hear him. There was so much he had to say. So much they'd left unsaid. So much he wished he could unsay. He needed her now- more than ever.

How was he supposed to go on without her- without someone to fight for? He needed her strength, her resolve. She had always been his rock, even though she'd never realized.

He wasn't even sure if he'd realized- until now.

He needed her to know this now. She had to come back.

He told her this, and cradled her head to his heart. He felt the organ thumping loudly behind his ribcage and for a fleeting moment contemplated giving it to her.

He kissed her nose again, and a third salted droplet wound its way down his cheek and settled upon the crease between her brows.

And that was how Elsa found him- huddled in the middle of a war-torn room, clutching a dead body to his own and rocking on his heels while whispering sweet nothings to the air.

All Elsa could think of was how many different ways she'd seen Hellion break and decided that this was the worst so far.

She silently made her way over to him and crouched opposite him. Without a word she took the she-wolverine's lifeless hand in her own and stroked it gently.

'She probably kicked Megan back good,' she whispered lowly.

Hellion chuckled darkly. 'Yeah,' he agreed.

* * *

She watched as the tears streaked down his face. He probably didn't even notice them crawling across his cheeks. He just stared down at X-23 as if waiting for her to open her eyes and smile back at him in reassurance.

Her heart broke just a little more- if there was even anything left to break, she didn't know. What Elsa was feeling at that moment was, in the least, unexplainable. Which only meant that the emotions Hellion was experiencing was most probably unfathomable, and for that she was sorry. She knew deep inside, that she could never console him in the way that he wanted consolation.

Maybe he wanted a hug, a shoulder to cry on and even some words of strength and reassurance.

But this wasn't what she did. She was no good in moments such as these.

Sure she experienced a hell of a lot of emotions in her past- but going through her own was in a million ways different from handling another's. So she stayed silent, and watched as he grieved.

She hadn't let go of X-23's hand yet, she realized belatedly, and decided that she wouldn't.

Minutes passed- maybe hours- and Elsa slowly realized that what they were doing wasn't healthy. Mourning over the dead was understandable- but not when it was done literally over said dead body.

As much as it was saddening a loss… that was what X-23 was now- a loss.

It was a harsh dose of reality, but even the part of her in stubborn denial relented to that fact.

Moving quietly she took hold of Hellion's shoulders and gently shook him...to no response.

She breathed his name fervently, watching closely for signs of a reply.

There were none.

She called his name again, to no avail, and her grip tightened involuntarily on his arms.

'Hellion,' she snapped suddenly. '_Hellion_, snap out of it.'

'Let me be here, she needs me,' he whispered with a pained glare in the blonde's direction.

His usually chocolate eyes were glazed over and he had some trouble locating her face.

'Hellion,' Elsa mumbled, worriedly. 'I know it hurts, but you've got to let go.'

As if instinctively, the telekinetic's hands tightened around X-23's body.

'No,' he stared at her blankly, stroking the raven hair tumbling across his knees.

Elsa sighed. Without allowing herself to rethink her actions, she reached out and pressed the she-wolverine's eyes shut, cutting off her unseeing gaze.

'She's gone, Hellion. She really is,' she murmured gently, her palm resting over the hand that was running through the dead girl's locks.

Hellion lifted his watery eyes to hers and frowned slightly, as if he was seeking out answers in her icy blue orbs. His lips parted slightly as he let out a strangled sigh and then he cried.

Really, _really _cried.

Elsa couldn't bear to hear it- the sounds he made as one by one, the denial stripped away, only to leave behind the cold dark truth. It hurt. She knew that more than anybody.

And thinking back to the years she'd spent facing the desolate truth, Elsa realized that all she had needed was a rock.

Something strong to stand still amidst the whirlwind of emotions raging through and around her. To hold her down to the ground and never let go. A rock is what she had needed- a still strong voice to remind her why she needed to keep going. A rock would have been everything Jack wasn't. He had been a voice, a ghost- never there when she needed someone to lean on. Only a figment of her imagination, or so she had thought.  
A rock would have held her and cradled her from the storm and told her more than just that it would all be alright.

Hellion needed a rock now.

If he got lost in his emotions he might as well never come out. It had taken Elsa years to realize her inner strength, but that time had been enough to break her in more ways than that. She might never trust someone with herself or her heart.

And as she realized how deeply and badly she herself had broken- Elsa realized that there was no way in hell she was going to sit by and let another go through what she had to.

She was going to be Hellion's rock.

She knew she'd have to overlook her own emotions, but thankfully to the serums and morphine in her veins, the implications of the day's events had yet to grasp her fully. Pushing away her growing despair for Megan's choice fate and raging guilt from the death of a comrade that she felt partly responsible for, Elsa resolved to be strong for Hellion's sake.

Because that was what friends did.

They did the unthinkable and surmounted the impossible for each other's sake.

And to hell with the mutual hatred thing they had going on- she was his friend as she was going to do something about it.

Grasping the telekinetic's face in both hands; Elsa turned him to face her. She focused intently upon his brown, glassy orbs and poured every word she had to say into her heated gaze. She watched his expression unravel- his eyes began to focus, his eyebrows relinquished the frown they'd created and his lips began to tremble under the weight of her unsaid words.

After a heartbeat or three, Elsa leaned forward and rested her forehead upon his, closing the distance without breaking their gaze.

'I'll be your rock,' she murmured, lacing her fingers into the dark silky locks behind his ears- her voice barely a scratchy whisper.

And for the second time that day, Julian Keller, 'Hellion' to his fellow mutants and last telekinetic to grace the earth, cried.

Elsa gripped his head tighter and knotted her fingers into his hair. She held him firmly against her and said nothing as sobs wracked his body, sending him into tiny spasms of depression.

She waited until he had silenced his cries and resolved to mere sniffling to let go of his head. Reaching between their faces, she ran her fingers down his tear stained cheeks and brushed the wetness away.

He stared back at her with an odd expression and then moved forward unexpectedly.

Elsa's heart jumped a mile out of her chest as Hellion pounced forwards suddenly, moving so fast he was a blur. Before she could so much as back away from him, she felt his arms twine around her shoulders and was tugged towards him as he pulled her in for a hug.

His strong arms encircled her and crushed her to his stonewall like chest. She resisted the urge to groan and simply lay still in his embrace, and listened to his thumping heart as it beat irregularly in his chest. She felt him hide his face in her windblown platinum waves of hair. The tears haunting his features made the gesture a sticky situation, but she didn't pull away.

Slowly, after a few heartbeats of silent embrace, Elsa loosened her arms from beneath his, and slowly wrapped them around his torso.

The second her fingers latched onto each other from around him, a rumble sounded, from deep within him.

She nearly bolted from the room at the sound of his voice- so low and husky, broken to the extent that he had no care for how miserable he sounded.

'Did you really mean that?' he asked her, brown eyes searching blue.

'Mean _what_?' she breathed, struggling to ignore her instincts that screamed at her to run from the intensity of the moment.

'What you said.'

Elsa watched his gaze flicker down to their feet, where X-23 lay, and then it flitted back to her face again.

'I said a lot of things,' she replied carefully.

And what happened next had Elsa confused for years to come. She never understood what she had done correctly and he never did tell her, but in that moment, that horrific, tragic, depressing moment, she managed to make him smile.

His lips stretched ever so slightly it was barely noticeable but she noticed the familiar sparkle take back its place deep within his melting gaze.

'About being my _rock_, Blondie,' he replied and if it were another time or another place she was sure he would've followed up with a smirk.

She peered into his now-familiar eyes and whispered, 'Yes, silly. Or does that further outdo my quota for most-amount-of-crazy-shit-said-today?'

'Don't quote me back to me,' Hellion frowned gently, still holding their gaze.

'Got a problem?' Elsa asked quietly, a lopsided smile settling uncomfortably on her lips.

'What...no "Ken"?' Hellion gasped mockingly; his eyes betraying the tiniest sliver of humor.

'I thought about that,' Elsa murmured, bringing her head to rest on his chest as she hugged him tighter. 'And I've come to the conclusion that plastic surgery would make you look absolutely terrifying.'

Hellion barked out a chuckle that was far too short-lived and very somber and mostly dark, but the way he clung to her with renewed force told Elsa that everything was going to be alright.

For now.

Hank finally broke them apart when he arrived to inform them that he would be taking X-23 away to inspect the body.

Elsa watched as Hellion tensed and after a few long minutes, he nodded his assent. She squeezed his hand in reassurance and slowly led him out of the room.

* * *

**part ii**

* * *

A few miles away, down a lonely street and under a lamp-post, Kitty Pryde met her informant. She took her fedora off her head, allowing her hair to tumble down to her shoulders.

'Kitty,' Bobby breathed in surprise. 'What are you doing here?'

Kitty smiled wanly at the ex X-Man. Oh, how she had missed him and his pumped-up personality. She hated that they had to meet under such despairing circumstances. She knew the news she came bearing would upset him.

'We were ambushed,' she began slowly, watching for his reaction. 'The Blackbird was shot down when it was about to take us on a secret mission.'

'The explosion? That was an ambush?' Bobby asked, startled. 'I thought it was one of Gambit's strange training processes.'

Kitty rolled her eyes skyward. 'No, it wasn't. We were targeted by two missiles presumably from Magneto himself.'

'And why are you here?' Bobby frowned, sizing her up suspiciously.

'The mission we were about to embark on was top secret- in fact it was so last minute that barely anybody outside of those involved knew of it.'

'And yet you were attacked. You think you have a mole,' Bobby said excitedly.

He nearly jumped at the offer he thought he was being given. 'Yes! Yes I will help you find this mole.'

'No, Bobby-,'

'I'll need a list of those involved… did everyone involved board the plane? Who else could've known about it? Are there mutants who could've-,' Bobby rattled off; pacing the street as he set his mind on the task h believed he had received.

'BOBBY!' Kitty snapped, raising her voice higher than was intended.

A cat screeched in an alley and scampered away, in turn, knocking over a trashcan that clattered to the ground noisily. The silence of the street was shattered for a moment. Bobby froze in place, staring back at the Headmistress in confusion.

'Bobby we found the mole.'

The Iceman remained still. 'I- I don't understand.'

'Bobby, we found out who it was- initially though, we thought it was Laura-,'

'Laura? What's 'initially' supposed to mean?' the Iceman's frown deepened considerably.

'Yes Laura. We thought it was her and we held her in the Danger Room. In a turn of events, Laura happened to figure out the real mole and was eliminated before she could relate her findings. On an off chance, Hellion and Elsa managed to run into the mole before she could escape and caught up with her in time to witness her raise Danger and leave.'

'Laura's dead? Poor Hellion,' Bobby gasped, still in his place a few feet away from the Headmistress.

_Poor you, _Kitty thought as she considered what the Iceman would feel once he figured out who the true spy was.

'Wait- and you say Danger has been revived?!' Bobby asked, catching on to the rest of what Kitty had related. 'Are you kidding me? When is this school ever going to learn? You're supposed to be a _safe haven_ for the young mutants! Instead, all you do is _ensure_ that they have at least ten ways to die!'

Kitty sighed.

'This is preposterous, Kitty. I'm sure even _you_ know that!'

'You didn't let me finish,' the Headmistress whispered.

'Finish? What is there _more_ to say?' Bobby asked, horrified.

'You didn't let me tell you who the mole was,' Kitty replied in a soft voice.

She had to break it gently.

'Spit it out, woman,' Bobby snapped, frowning in suspicion.

'It's Megan.'

Ah well, so much for _gentle_.

Bobby let out a strangled gasp, his eyes bugging out as he stared back at the Headmistress in shock. Slowly, he regained himself.

'You're joking,' he muttered finally.

'Oh, Bobby I'm not,' Kitty gushed, sympathetically. 'She really did spy on us, she told those two. She admitted to the fact, Bobby, there's no doubt. She transported Danger out as well. She's left us.'

Bobby shook his head. 'No, Kitty. You don't know her like I do!'

'Exactly why you of all people should understand why this happened.'

Bobby frowned. 'This is _your_ fault, Pryde,' he seethed.

'I know,' Kitty acknowledged.

'If you _fools_ hadn't been so pathetic, this could've been avoided!' Bobby muttered in a strained voice, his anger seeping through his words.

'Bobby, please,' Kitty pleaded. 'I know this.'

'No,' Bobby murmured, looking away. 'I have failed her now. There's nothing left to do. I hope you suffer.'

'Bobby!' Kitty gasped.

'Just… don't,' he muttered, turning away with such sadness in his eyes that it took away his years and replaced him with a much, much older version of himself.

His shoulders slumped in defeat and his eyes were heavy with guilt. He shuffled his feet as he tried to walk away.

'Bobby, this is bigger than just the X-men,' Kitty called.

'When is it not?' he replied sullenly.

'Bobby, please.'

'Leave me alone, Pryde. At least respect my wishes _now_.'

'Bobby! She's planning on using her Dark Magic! This could mean destruction to half the state! Bobby please, we don't know anything about that part of her,' Kitty whimpered, hating that she had to grovel for his help.

'Well doesn't that just suck for you?' the Iceman replied, coldly.

Kitty stopped following him and turned away. 'Thanks,' she murmured, before heading the other way.

'Pryde wait,' Bobby called suddenly.

She waited.

'I'm not going to help you. But I'll tell you what I know. _Then_ will you leave me alone?' he continued, raising a single brow.

He looked broken.

She nodded.

'Thank you Bobby, we owe you so much-,' Kitty began, before she caught a movement in the alleyway to her left.

She paused uncertainly, frowning into the alley and its shadows.

'Here's what I know,' Bobby started, stepping closer.'

'Bobby, NO!' Kitty screamed, leaping towards him, but the shadow from the alley beta her to it.

A large figure of darkness swooped low over her head and closed in around the Iceman. It was large and ominous and seemed to suck the light out of the lampposts dotting the street. The shadows surrounding it seemed to get absorbed into the larger figure that still shrouded Bobby in its darkness.

'What the hell?' the Iceman snapped, trying to claw his way out.

And all of a sudden the shadows condensed into a single form- a dark horse, as depthless as a chasm. It reeked of death and send waves of apprehension tingling down Kitty's spine. Her heart leaped uncertainly and began thudding rapidly in her chest.

She could smell it in the air.

Fear.

The horse glared at her for a few seconds with its obsidian eyes and then snapped its massive jaws around the Iceman behind it.

Kitty opened her mouth to scream but she couldn't move. She was frozen in place- her muscles refusing to move.

The horse closed its jaws around the mutant and thundered down the street. It rose into the air and melded into the darkness of the night, taking Bobby with it and leaving Kitty Pryde frozen in fear down in the dark lonely street.

'What is he saying?' Elsa muttered, frowning in confusion.

'I can't believe we're doing this,' Wolverine groaned, rubbing his face with both palms

'Think of it as charades,' Trance mumbled, leaning forward in her chair.

'We have no time for charades,' Hellion moaned, running a weary hand through his dark hair.

He slumped back in his seat and frowned angrily at the yellow man before them.

The Sandman rolled his eyes in exasperation and continued trying to relay his story. Pictures of sand flickered rapidly over his head, but none of the mutants in the room could figure out what he was trying to say.

'It seems important,' Trance mused aloud, poking a finger through the sand images.

The Sandman opened his mouth in silent protest.

'Where's Jack?' Hellion snapped. 'He can do this. We shouldn't be wasting our time!'

'He's out,' Elsa replied sullenly, rubbing her weary eyes with her knuckles.

'That's just dandy. Kitty's not even back yet,' Wolverine mumbled, chewing on a fresh cigar that he had pulled out from seemingly nowhere.

'Do you think she's in trouble?' Elsa asked carefully.

Nobody replied.

The door opened and Match shuffled in. 'I've found her!'

'Who? Kitty?' Wolverine asked, jumping from his chair.

All the other mutants leaped from their seats and swiveled to face Match who was frozen at the door way.

He pushed the door open wider and Toothiana flew in cheerily.

'Hi, guys!' she called.

'I found her like you told me to,' Match replied slowly.

The other groaned in unison and toppled back into their chairs with a face of exasperation.

Tooth didn't appreciate the lack of enthusiasm.

'Well what have we got here? A gathering? A party?' she squealed in glee, fluttering around the room.

Hellion tensed at her obvious joy at the situation and growled under his breath. He was seriously considering ripping the bird lady's feathers out one by one when he felt a small hand on his knee. He glanced up and met Elsa's blue gaze wearily. She understood. He was glad.

She squeezed his knee gently and turned to face the tooth fairy. 'Toothiana, you need to tell us what Sandy is trying to say.'

'Oh,' the fairy spiraled down to the floor.

She frowned intently at the images flickering over the small yellow man's head and gasped.

'Nightmares are on the loose!' she exclaimed, just as Kitty Pryde burst into the room yelling, 'Bobby has been abducted!'

'What?!' Wolverine cried, leaping to his feet in bewilderment.

Elsa shot to her feet as well, looking between the tooth fairy and the Headmistress. Coincidences didn't happen in her world.

'What happened to Bobby?' she asked hurriedly.

Kitty collapsed into a chair and took deep breaths to calm herself.

'What are nightmares?' Hellion asked with a slight frown.

'Erm… scary dreams?' Trance replied uncertainly, peering at the telekinetic as if to ask whther his question was meant sincerely.

'I know that,' he snapped. 'But there's got to be more to it than that.'

'Any time now, Pryde,' Wolverine spat, crouching by the Headmistress and coaxing her to speak.

'Give me a minute, Logan!' Kitty wheezed. 'I just ran miles.'

'No you didn't,' the burly man replied with a pout.

'Guys!' Elsa exclaimed. 'What's going on?'

'Bobby was literally… snatched… from the street,' Kitty huffed.

She placed a palm to her chest and coughed.

'Damn, you're unfit,' Match observed with a grim look upon his face.

Kitty shot him a glare. 'And I'm still your Headmistress!'

Match retreated with a squeak.

'We have to hurry,' Toothiana interrupted, shoving the Sandman in the direction of the window. 'Sandy is going to intercept the Nightmare before it gets too far.'

'The _what_ now?' Hellion groaned.

'Nightmares,' Tooth explained. 'Pitch can manipulate the shadows to create creatures of the night to spread fear. One day he managed to turn Sandy's dreamsand into his darksand and through that he made a Nightmare. They usually roam in the night- in the shape of horses.'

'Horse!' Kitty exclaimed, leaning forward and coughing profusely.

The others looked at her expectantly.

'Bobby was abducted by a horse thing. I swear it- it was a shadow. God, this is humiliating. I couldn't save him from a shadow,' Kitty moaned.

'Not the time to wallow in self-pity, Pryde,' Wolverine muttered.

'Sandy, go… now!' Tooth commanded.

The Sandman nodded and rushed to the window sill. While hauling himself onto the ledge, he suddenly toppled over and fell out of sight.

'NO!' Wolverine shouted while running to the window. 'The little guy!'

A burst of yellow exploded in Wolverine's face and he was greeted with the sight of the rotund Sandman seated comfortably in a mini helicopter made entirely of his dream substance, floating safely just outside the window sill.

Executing a mock salute, Sandy swerved his helicopter around and flew off into the darkness of the night.

'Great, where'd he go?' Wolverine asked, running a hand across his dreamsand stained face.

'I told you already,' Tooth chastised. 'He'll intercept the Nightmare carrying this Bobson before the horse can take him to Pitch.'

'His name is Bobby,' Kitty mumbled darkly.

'Oh yeah?' Wolverine cried. 'That little guy and what army?'

'Jack was out with him when they caught sight of the Nightmare. Jack sent him back to warn us and he himself went after the horse. Sandy will go catch up with Jack and help him take down the Nightmare,' Tooth explained gently.

'Will Jack be able to defeat it?' Elsa asked, timidly.

'What sort of a question is that?!' Hellion snorted. 'If he can't defeat one of those, then he's pretty much useless.'

Elsa glared daggers at the telekinetic. 'Kitty couldn't do anything- plus I was just asking.'

'Jack will be fine,' Tooth said, smiling.

'What was the little guy doing out anyway?' Wolverine asked huffily, tossing his cigar in the trashcan.

'He's the Sandman!' Toothiana exclaimed, appalled. 'He goes out every night to make sure every child has good dreams!'

'Eh,' the Headmaster just shrugged.

'We should… we should meet up with them halfway,' Kitty murmured, in between shallow coughs.

'What, WHY?!' Wolverine snapped, turning on her immediately.

'Because they'll have Bobby! And there's no time to bring him back here to ask questions about Megan. If they don't get the horse in time, there's no way those two can infiltrate Pitch's hideout. Magneto will have him covered. We have to go out there. We're his only chance- just as he is ours.'

'And how do you suppose we go out there?' Wolverine groaned. 'We lost our jet!'

'Oh,' Kitty deadpanned. 'Great.'

'I can send my astral form to help them,' Trance offered.

'It's not a question of help alone. Even if it were, your astral form can't go to another state, Trance. Plus it won't be able to ask Bobby the questions we need to be asking, Kitty replied sullenly.

'Well, we have to find a way!' Match exclaimed. 'Maybe we can hire a jet!'

'One that travels at the speeds we need?' Hellion muttered. 'No way.'

'There are rich guys who own fancy military level jets,' Match frowned. 'I know this for a fact.'

'Well….,' Wolverine drawled. 'Know any rich guys?'

Elsa perked up. 'I do.'

Hellion raised a single brow at her in askance. 'Oh yeah?'

'Yeah,' the blonde replied, crossing her arms; her icy blue eyes growing hard and cold. 'Hans.'

* * *

a/n: woah. what's it been? two..three days? and an update? already?

hehehehe you guys got me to 80 review.. here's you reward. early update. and a surprisingly long one at that. i think.

so if you guys got confused by the music thing- don't bother. i just listened to different songs that i felt most reflected on the character's emotions at the moment. Match's song was very reminiscent... like as if remebering the good old days when he used to know Megan... or at least when he thought hew knew her. now his life is a lie cause... you know. she was his life. Hellion's song was kinda sad.. :'( just like he was refusing to accept Laura's death and kept trying to 'fix her'... Elsa's song might not exactly sound great... but it felt perfect. i dunno. it might be just me.

but listen to Karmin. she's great.

so here we go... on yet another haphazard roller-coaster ride- nothing is easy with the X-men.. you didn't expect them to apprehend Magneto and kick Pitch's ass in this chapter did ya? did you?

omg

if you did then... then you, my friend, i highly mistaken.

this stroy has plans. big plans. great plans.

plans i don't even know of :P

so review some thing lovely for me and i will shoot over a rainbow and grind out another chapter... early maybe.

shoutouts to everyone who's still with the story. and everyone who's new- keep hanging. i will see this to the end. promise.

toodles amigos.


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: these characters aren't mine. credit to Marvel and Disney for the awesome and incredible cast.**

**p.s- read a/n at the end of the chapter :)**

* * *

Pandemonium erupted.

Toothiana shrank back into the shadows as the entire room burst into a frenzy, cornering Elsa and peppering her with rapid-fire questions, each overlapping the other so fast, the blonde had no time to even answer one.

'Hans?' Kitty cried. 'He doesn't sound like a trustworthy person.'

'Hans?!' Match guffawed. 'What a terrible name!'

'You sure you know him?' Trance inquired.

'Who is this man?' Wolverine frowned, searching his leather jacket for more cigars.

'Is he a reliable source?' Kitty interrupted.

'Does he actually have a jet?' Match asked, genuinely amused.

'How rich is he?' Trance added, giggling.

'Hold up!' Hellion said in a loud voice, rolling his eyes obnoxiously before pinning Elsa with a suspicious gaze. 'I've never heard of this guy before, who did you say he was?'

'Hans,' Elsa replied, in a voice that exaggerated her impatience.

For extra effect, she placed her hands on her waist and cocked her hips.

Hellion repressed the urge to roll his eyes again, and failed. 'Hans _who_?'

'Ofthesouthernisles?' Elsa said, phrasing her answer as a question and punctuating it with a wince.

'Hooo!' Match shrieked in laughter. 'That's worse than his first name!'

'Please tell me that's not real,' Hellion deadpanned.

'It is,' Elsa snapped stubbornly, sticking her tongue out at him.

'Yeah,' Hellion muttered. 'Real mature, Blondie.'

'How does he have a jet?' Trance asked. 'Is he really that rich?'

'His father owned a multi-billion dollar company. He passed away recently and left it to his sons. Hans didn't get his own share of the company's profits but he is still living in the lap of luxury by feeding off his brothers' incomes,' Elsa replied with a sour expression.

'I take it you don't like him?' Hellion observed, raising a brow in curiosity.

'There's a lot not to like,' Elsa replied vaguely, brushing the telekinetic's probing question away.

'So how do you know him?' Match interrupted before Hellion could question her more.

'Erm,' Elsa paused. 'I just do?'

Everybody in the room shot her a glare.

'We have to be able to trust him. Tell us how you know him,' Kitty reasoned.

'_Ugh_,' Elsa groaned. 'He had a thing with my sister that did not end well.'

'Oh shit,' Trance squealed. 'Did she get pregnant?!'

'Ewwww!' Match groaned.

Hellion looked ready to barf.

'No you idiots!' Elsa sighed. 'He was after her for wealth. He thought that if he married her, he could secure a portion of our father's business. Huge scandal- it's all over now, but he owes Anna big time. We could cash in the favor now.'

'Can we trust him?' Kitty asked with a frown.

'He's a sleaze,' Elsa admitted wryly. 'But he'll be more than willing to comply- especially if Wolverine tags along!'

'Oh _yeah_!' Match whooped. 'One look at his claws and the rich baby will be bawling.'

'Hell no,' Wolverine groaned.

'He has expensive liquor you could borrow,' Elsa added hastily, desperately trying to bribe the Headmaster in to joining them. 'And caviar and Cuban cigars.'

Wolverine huffed. 'Can't say no to cigars,' he mumbled.

'Logan!' Kitty admonished. 'We can't just go because the man has cigars! '

'You're the one who wanted a jet, Pryde!' Wolverine pointed out, already at the door. 'We'll take the Chevrolet. I like that car. Hellion, you, the new kid and fire boy can come. Pryde, you can sit up front- I'm driving.'

'What about me?' Toothiana asked, perking up from the corner she was hiding in.

'And ME!' Trance shouted, pointing at herself.

'Hmm,' Wolverine mused aloud. 'Bird lady can come with- but no getting in the car...you can fly. You can stay here and- um... make sure hell doesn't break loose.'

'That's right,' Kitty added. 'Rally the students and the rest of the faculty. Make sure the school is in lockdown and in safety mode. Start charging up the defense mechanisms and get Hank to make sure Cerebro is out of reach from ANYONE.'

'This is real responsible of you guys,' Trance muttered in an undertone.

Kitty nodded at her sympathetically and herded the small group out of the office.

'What now?' Wolverine asked, once they were all seated in the sleek black car, with Tooth hovering outside.

Elsa allowed a smirk to smother her face in its evil glow.

'Now,' she murmured, partially to herself. 'We'll see how bitchy payback can get.'

* * *

Hans was wasted.

No. 'Wasted' didn't even BEGIN to cover what he was. He was so stoned he could've made all rocks jealous. His head throbbed incessantly as his brain spasmed in his skull. It felt as if an elephant was dancing on his chest and what's worse- he had an important meeting the next morning.

Oh no, make that...in a few hours.

Hans moaned loudly as he twisted around on his bed. In his thrashing, he felt his arm knock against something warm on his left with a soft thwack.

Oh, he wondered. Monica was still here. Or was it Mary? Maddie? Megan?

For the life of him, Hans couldn't remember. And he couldn't care less. He just hoped she'd be gone by dawn.  
He yawned painfully and turned to squint at his digital alarm clock. The number glowing red in the semi darkness told him that it was now four hundred and three o' clock.

Hans sighed.

Did that mean it was morning already?

His head **hurt**.

Groaning, he turned to face the red head beside him and decided to shove her off the bed. After all, she was hogging most of the space.

He wondered why he even had her here in the first place.

Oh yeah, it was that stupid redhead that had started it all.

What a fail of a plan that had been. His cheeks flamed the second the memory surfaced in his groggy mind. Sweet Jesus that had been humiliating. He hadn't gotten a dime out of that relationship and his brothers had not appreciated the animosity he'd stirred up with the Arendelles. Apparently their oldest was going to inherit the business in a few years and they' been expecting her to partner with them. Now all she wanted to do was slice Hans up for using her little sister.

Great.

Hans frowned to himself. Arendelle's heir was no more than a cold hearted bitch that's what she was.

He hoped he never met her again.

Wincing, Hans turned in his bed once again- and came face to face with a 40 something looking man.

'Holy mother of- ohmygod!' he cried, struggling upright as he ogled at the hulking mass of masculinity before him. 'Please tell me I didn't sleep with you _too_!'

The stranger grunted in displeasure.

'Are you sure this is the guy?' he asked in a gravelly voice.

A snort sounded in the shadows.

Hans felt like he was going to be sick.

'Oh god,' he moaned, clutching his stomach. 'What are you doing here? Who are you?'

'Don't answer that,' a female voice snapped, with a slight tinge of amusement.

'Wasn't going to,' the man responded hastily. 'I just came for the cigars.'

'Cigars?' Hans asked blankly. 'Oh..._cigaars_. Over there.'

He quickly pointed to his new cabinet that stood off to the right of the room, beside an equally new work table.

'Is this a robbery?' Hans queried, as the strange man shuffled over to the cabinet and smashed through the glass to retrieve the expensive Cuban cigars nestled inside. 'And what's with the hair do man?'

'Enough with the chitchat,' the other voice interrupted.

The man stomped over to the wall and switched all the lights on.

'Wakey, wakey kids,' he rumbled sarcastically. 'Get that girl out.'

Hans poked Monica in her ribs.

'Hey...hey Monica? You gotta go, babe,' he slurred, backing away once she'd woken.

'Holy shit,' the red head swore as soon as she spotted the visitors. 'What the- how- who?!'

'Monica!' Hans tried to scream. 'Out, woman! I'm being robbed.'

'Ohmygod,' she squealed, clutching the sheets to her chest.

She struggled to her feet and dragged her tipsy self to the door as fast as she could.

'I'm _Addison_!' she shrieked as she stumbled through the door and down the stairs.

Eh, Hans mused. 'Monica' didn't suit her anyway.

'Hans,' the female intruder snapped again.

He turned to face her, and nearly popped his eyeballs out.

It was the icy cold hearted Arendelle bitch!

'You're the heart icy Arendelle bitch cold!' he slurred.

Damn, that was too long a sentence.

'I'm guessing that sounded better in your head,' Elsa said sweetly.

'What- what do you want?' Hans stammered uneasily, backing up against the headboard of his bed.

Gosh his head was spinning_ so_ fast. Maybe this was a terrible dream.

'Two things, actually,' Elsa muttered, circling round the bed to meet him while examining her nails.

'First,' she said. 'A present.'

'For _me_?' Hans asked suspiciously.

'Yeah,' she nodded, before clenching her fist and clocking him right on the jaw.

Her knuckles pounded against the side of his face, causing his head to snap to the side uncomfortably. The pain nearly caused him to black out.

'Second,' the blonde was saying, by the time his hearing regained clarity. 'A favor.'

Hans couldn't articulate a word, let alone a sentence, so he resorted to a shaky nod.

'You with me on this?' Elsa asked carefully, peering into his eye intimidatingly.

'We don't have time for this,' the other intruder warned. 'Hurry up kid.'

'We need a jet, mister,' Elsa snapped hurriedly.

'What?! NO!' Hans shrieked, clutching his cheeks in horror.

'Hans, I swear to god,' Elsa groaned, rubbing her temples. 'You _OWE_ me, goddammit!'

'No way,' Hans stammered through the haze in his mind. 'Not the jet! It's not even mine! It's my brothers'!'

'Well, I don't give a damn whose it is!' the man shouted, charging towards the bed and glaring down. 'Take us to the craft. **Now**.'

'And why would I do that?' Hans said, sloppily. 'I'm...uh, I'm a businessman- I act in ways that benefit me.'

'Fine then,' Wolverine snapped angrily, allowing his claws to rise from his clenched fists. 'Biggest benefit- you get to keep your puny miserable life.'

Hans gulped.

'_NOW_ will you give us the jet?' Elsa asked with false friendliness.

Hans eyed the creepy claws sticking out of the strange man's hands. He gulped again.

This all had better be a dream, Hans realized- or else this just might turn out to be his shittiest morning yet.

* * *

'Well?' Kitty shouted over the roaring of the jet's engines. 'Did you have to threaten him?'

Wolverine grunted as he strapped himself into a seat beside the pilot chair.

Kitty rolled her eyes at his lack of response and continued prepping the craft for flight.

'A little bit,' Elsa admitted.

'And then you left him alone?' Hellion asked, suspiciously. 'That doesn't sound like you.'

'Pshtt. Fine so we punched him up a little,' Elsa muttered under her breath.

Hellion raised a brow.

'And smashed his stuff a bit.'

Hellion chuckled.

'And threw him into the pool.'

'Suchh a child,' the telekinetic rolled his eyes as Elsa pouted in his direction.

'How's the plane?' she asked Kitty, who was seated in the pilot's chair.

'She's a good bird,' the Headmistress noted. 'Almost perfect condition. This should be a breeze.'

'Can we get this show on the road faster then?' Match asked in a shaky voice, glancing nervously around the cabin.

It was clear he didn't want to go through a repeat of what had happened the last time they'd boarded a jet.

'Let's go then,' Kitty murmured through pursed lips, as she set about flipping the necessary switches before controlling the plane in order to make it move forward.

Match began to pray.

Hellion stared ahead at the curving side of the craft's body before him and Elsa crossed her fingers.

Wolverine lit a cigar.

And so, with Tooth leading the way, the X-Men headed in search of Bobby, in a borrowed air craft that smelled distinctly of cigar smoke that might never return, with their eyes peeled for incoming missiles and their dignity lying in shreds at their feet.

Somehow, Wolverine didn't seem to mind.

* * *

Day crept into the twinkling sky, chasing the stars and clouding the moon with its brightness. The crisp spring wind whistled cheerily through the fast disappearing snow and shook the trees and their new branches of fresh emerald leaves.

Frost crunched under the nightmare's hooves as it clomped outside, in the murky shadows that still lingered around the old shed. It whinnied as it saw the first rays of light filter through the trees overhead and made a wild dash into the badly constructed building behind it.

Inside, all was dark.

The prisoner sat on the cold hard floor with his wrists bound behind him and a gag around his mouth. His hands were held in place against his back with a strange contraption that sent shivers through the nightmare as it plodded around to look at it.

The cuffs glowed red every time the prisoner moved. For some reason, there was a touch of frost upon the cuffs, but it was nothing more than a tinge of ice. The ice didn't seem to bother the cuffs.

The prisoner grunted in pain. Blood trickled from his nose and one of his eyes were swollen shut and purple.

The nightmare could taste the fear rolling of the prisoner in continuos waves. It nearly choked the creature of the night- the prisoner was very afraid. The musky scent of his emotions clouded the room and sent shivers of pleasure through the night-horse.  
It whinnied and stepped away from the man on the floor, sniffing, sniffing for something in the room.

The darkness shifted.

Shadows moved in unison to congregate at a spot on the floor close to the door. The horse watched the movement of the darkness apprehensively.

Someone was coming.

Somebody the horse had missed very, very much.

The deep blackness of the dark swirled upwards and seemed to solidify into a semi humanoid shape.

A thin raspy voice echoed around the room.

It sounded like nails scraping against a chalkboard.

Music to the nightmare's ears.

'Bobby the Iceman,' the voice drawled, sounding off the wooden sides of the shed and filling the tiny space. 'I was told you'd come without a fight.'

The prisoner raised his head wearily and turned his face so that his good eye could find the newcomer. He found the shadowy figure and paused to appraise it.

The nightmare clopped towards the speaking shadow.

'Ah yes,' the voice spoke softly as the shadow reached out to caress the horse.

Long talon like fingers ran across the nightmare's nose and paused at its temple. The creature turned its obsidian eyes to its master questioningly took in the semi solid shadow before it.

The shadow sighed.

'How I've _missed_ you, Onyx,' he said, breathing heavily as he did so. 'The times have been hard for us, but never fear.'

The figure of darkness wrapped an arm around the nightmare and nuzzled his head into the horse's mane.

'We **will **rise.'

Those three words hung eerily in the musky air and stayed there uncomfortably. The prisoner struggled against his bonds, trying desperately to break free, his eyes wide with fear.

'Keep struggling, mortal,' the shadow murmured in glee, rubbing his dark hands against each other.

He knew that most of his movements couldn't be seen since he half blended into the shadows around him, yet he did it anyway- it had been a long time since he'd last been able to move.

'Those bonds are specifically designed for you and your... _powers_,' he continued in a raspy voice. 'You cannot break free.'

The prisoner grunted again as he twisted his hands in an attempt to loosen the cuffs. He tried to freeze it over but nothing worked. The bonds remained in place, glowing redly against the darkness around him.

The shadow frowned at the prisoner. The plan was to wait until a rescue attempt was made, then a fight would ensue, allowing him to feed off the remains and grow stronger. But he couldn't just stand here doing nothing.

He stalked forward soundlessly, until he was a few feet away from the man lying on the cold floor. He paused to consider his actions and then allowed a thin smile to grace his face.

Not that anyone would see it of course.

The prisoner struggled relentlessly at his feet.

'Tell me, Bobby the Iceman,' the shadow seethed in a deceptively soft voice. 'How do you feel about drowning?'

The man stiffened and turned his good eye up to glare daggers at the dark shadows before him.

'Well?' the figure asked, with false concern. 'I think it's a _terrible_ way to go, don't you?'

The room fell eerily silent. The man of shadows allowed the tense silence to remain for a while before piercing it with his strangled, raspy voice.

'Imagine that,' he drawled. 'Slowly sinking, vision clouding, lungs burning as you let your last reserve of oxygen free- lungs burning as water forces it way inside and slowly, _slowly_... kills... you.'

The prisoner twitched reflexively and struggled to back away from the shadow, making loud panicked sounds from behind his gag. The figure of darkness heard his strangled gasps and smiled wider.  
The fear surged through his entity and gave him such a rush he nearly toppled over.

Enough playing, he realized. Time to go in for the kill.

'Quite terrible, ain't it?' he rasped, leaning forward fluidly, to glare deep into the prisoner's frightened eyes. 'Just imagine... if you were to drown...this...very..._INSTANT_!'

The last word of his sentence shouted out into the silence in the room and shook the very bones of the old shed. The shadows sprang sharply away from the prisoner on the floor and the shadow man, as if a light had shunned them into oblivion- and for a second Bobby could see his adversary for who he really was.  
All sharp edges and shifting darkness, Pitch Black stood seven feet tall and shrouded in black robes that floated down to his feet and rested on the cold hard floor. His eyes glowed fiercely in his pale, taut face, shining golden and silver, ever-changing beneath his mop of unruly raven black hair. His gaze was smoldering as he pinned Bobby in place with his eyes and moved closer, closer.  
He raised his hand, long and lean and pointed his fingers in the prisoner's direction.

Time moved faster.

Darkness shot out from his finger tips and surrounded the prisoner immediately. The fine grains of the black sand spun around wildly, clouding his eyes and face. He screamed- or at least, tried to. Choking and gasping, he struggled to save himself from his impending doom. Water sloshed around his body, batting him this way and that, forcing him under. The harsh cold struck his heart uncomfortably and his limbs began to feel heavy as lead.  
His lungs began to burn.

Burn, burn, burn.

Pitch watched as the prisoner struggled on the floor, flopping like a fish out of water.

He smiled wryly at the irony.

The fear emanating from the poor man flooded the shadow king and fueled the darkness in his veins. He grinned like a schoolboy experiencing the heady rush from his first time consuming a drug.

The nightmare shifted agitatedly in a corner.

The intense fear rolling off the man on the floor was disconcerting. The horse didn't know what to make of it- why was the man so afraid?

'It's his worst fear,' Pitch proclaimed, raising his arms to shoulder level. He raised his head and held his hands outstretched like a morbid rendition of the crucified Christ. 'I could see it in him, Onyx. I could tell his... deepest..._ darkest_... fears.'

The nightmare whinnied. It thumped its fore-hooves upon the floor of the shed and shook its mane wildly.

Its master returned to his shadowy form and slinked back to a corner of the shed. He disappeared into the shadows and was gone.

The nightmare remained silently in the small space, watching as the effects slowly wore off the prisoner.

The man looked drained of his life, his eyes rolling rapidly and his body shuddering as if spasms had hit him. He groaned from behind the gag and fainted away, his intense fear choking him out of consciousness.

The nightmare waited till the prisoner's body went limp, and them trotted out of the dingy shed.

* * *

A/N: i'm not dead! he he he :P

sorry about how late this chapter is, i was working on it during the last bit of my holidays and then school started and then- BAM- all the time disappeared. trust me i wanted nothing but to post this. i couldn't wait to get it online today. i think it needs a bit more editing but.. hey ho. you guys might even leave me if it gets tooo late and we don't want that to happen do we?

_nooo waaay._

so review fave and follow. i'll crank up the updates if i can.

also... i noticed i only get ten reviews per chapter. not that i'm complaining... but i feel as if i'm slowly losing you guys. gosh that pains me :/ i really really appreciate those of you who take the time to leave a review. really, you guys are rockstars. i just- wish everyone else would review too... it's not for the numbers. i don't have and agenda to make it to a 100 reviews or anything. i just reaaally want to know what you guys think of my work. that's the main reason i got on ...

for feedback :P

i love you all though- even the silent ones :)

and here's a little gift for everyone who remained with this story :P

/blog/usherrthaaa

it's the** second** thing on my tumblr blog. check it out :P i'm not even asking you to like it or anything- it's something for you guys... so goooo click the link and check it out :3

to use the link above put www- tumblr- com in front. (there should be fullstops where i put dashes)


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: i don't own things. especially not this thing. Marvel and Disney tho- daimn son they own all of this shizz...**

**Note: sorry for the humongous delay.. please read the a/n beloww**

* * *

Bobby Drake was not dead.

His eyes fluttered open and slowly adjusted themselves to the murky darkness, blinking rapidly as his brain registered the intense pain coursing through his muscles. He moaned hoarsely and twisted around till he lay on his side and retched heavily till he could no more.  
He could barely remember what had happened- his brain was still foggy and had no intention of clearing up any time soon. His eyes stung and his throat felt sore with use.

He felt as if he'd been screaming his lungs out. The battered twin organs in his chest shuddered painfully every time he took a breath. He choked the first few times he inhaled, but slowly manage to find a rhythmic breathing mechanism that didn't hurt him too much.

Just breathe slowly through the nose, he told himself as he tried to take in his surroundings.

He was in a shed. How long had he been in here? Did that horse thing bring him here? Was it still there?

A soft thudding noise outside confirmed the last question. That despicable nightmare was still in the vicinity.

Bobby shifted his weight, tried to stand upright and promptly fell over on his face. His arms were stuck behind him.

He was shackled? Hilarious, he thought dryly.

Closing his eyes, Bobby forced his power into his fingertips, imagining the shackles freezing over in his mind's eye.

Nothing happened.

He concentrated harder on shattering the hand cuffs, to no avail.

What sort of contraption was this?

And where on Earth did that horse thing get it from?

Where on Earth did that horse thing come from anyway? Or better yet- what _was_ it really?

Bobby felt his head swim uneasily and a wave of nausea made him double over in pain.

Whatever he had just experienced hadn't been pleasant.

He remembered Pixie. For some reason or the other an image of the bright young mutant rang clearly in his head.

His memories were resurfacing, but not as fast as he'd like them to. Groggily, Bobby shuffled to his feet and carefully held his balance as he propped himself into an upright position. He wavered slightly as he rose to his feet, but managed to save himself from toppling over.  
Ignoring the sharp stings of pain emanating from his lower back, Bobby began to wander around the shed. His body protested against the movement, he felt as if he had received a severe beating and a part of his mind kept sending shivers down his spine, but he swallowed down the irrational fear building up in his chest and continued his search.

Search for what, he wondered as he stumbled around his prison. Something told him that he should be looking for something, but his mind refused to tell him what it was that he was searching for.

Slowly, his head cleared ad he realized that he was searching for an exit.

A way out.

Bobby searched the shed thoroughly, and found it completely empty, save for large mounds of hay towards the back and a giant deadbolt across the main doors. There were three windows but they were high out of his reach and plastered shut with planks of wood. Only a few rays of light filtered through the cracks in the door and illuminated the space enough for the cryokinetic to realize he had no escape route.

Bobby Drake was well and truly stuck.

Stupid X-Men, he swore. This was exactly why he left in the first place. Getting abducted was not number one in his bucket list. In fact, it wasn't on his bucket list AT ALL.

And here he was, abducted by someone he didn't even know because of a fight he wasn't even aware of concerning a team he wasn't even involved with.

Bobby sighed heavily.

His life sucked.

But what did all this have to do with Megan, he wondered as he stumbled to the main doors of the shed. He knelt to inspect the deadbolt and figured it was too well fastened for him to unlock without the use of his hands or his powers.

Suddenly, it hit him.

Megan was a traitor.

Pixie.

His lil' Megs. The girl who looked up to him like an idol. The girl he treated like one of his own blood. The girl whom he saw unlimited potential in- the one he expected to lead the X-Men into victory someday.

She had left them.

Left everyone.

She had left the light and was now seeking refuge in the darkness and it was all _his_ fault he hadn't been there to guide her.  
Bobby felt something in his heart wrench painfully and decided he should file away thinking about that particular incident until later when he was in a more stable state of health. Yet no matter how much he tried to avoid it, Megan Gwynn's face kept popping into his mind. She smiled back at him impishly, with her small round face framed by her crazy pink hair and her eyes wide and sparkling with enthusiasm.

Bobby felt the despair build up in his chest and quickly doused before it could consume him. It wouldn't do to break down in tears in a time like this. For all he knew, his abductor could return. If only he could remember what had happened to him.

He wheezed as he tottered around on his feet, struggling against the restraints on his wrists and trying desperately to channel his ice powers out in one way or another. He tried freezing himself over, he tried summoning ice in his palm, he tried sculpting an object out of ice, he tried shooting icy blasts, he tried making it snow- nothing worked. Bobby was just about to sink to his knees and let all his sadness and desperation consume him, when he became aware of the heavy silence that had fallen while he had not been paying attention.

He couldn't hear the sounds of the nightmare's hooves clopping outside and the springtime birdsong had ceased, causing an eerie silence to cloak his surroundings. Bobby shuffled to the doors of the shed and peered through a crack in the thick wood. He couldn't see anything except for splurges of green and yellow all mushed together.

_Useless._

He pressed himself closer to the door, listening for something…_anything_.

And then he felt it- the sweet gush of frosty air, whistling through the trees and seeping through the cracks in the shed. The telltale winter breeze was out of place in the forest captured by springtime and Bobby had only one explanation for it.

He stepped back dutifully from the wooden door and waited for a heartbeat.

Two heartbeats.

It happened.

The nightmare outside roared in fury as shards of ice rained from the sky, impaling themselves into the wooden shed. Wintry wind howled against the doors and battered the entire shed, shaking its very bones. The horse of the night charged forward blindly, sensing the threat yet not fully comprehending what it was. A figure descended from a tree, arms outstretched, blasting showers of ice in the way of the dark creature. The nightmare horse bellowed as it dodged the onslaught easily, moving fluidly in a blur of darkness. The figure paused in its attack and took a moment to reconsider their actions. Instead of continuing the assault, the newcomer bounded head on towards the nightmare horse and leaped over the creature in one fluid move, landing just before the shed. The horse spun around wildly, ready to charge at the mutant once more, but it sensed something was wrong.

Bobby watched as the horse turned around warily, as if sensing something but not being able to make head or tail of it.

The newcomer walked up to Bobby and tossed off their hoodie.

Bobby stared.

'Are you the mutant who got taken?' the boy before him asked, flicking strands of snow white hair out of his crystalline blue eyes.

'I- ah, what? I mean…_what_?' the cryokinetic mumbled. 'There are _two_ of you?'

'Two of _who_?' the boy asked slowly, turning around to make sure the nightmare was effectively distracted. 'Hurry, mutant, we don't have much time.'

'Are you her brother?' Bobby asked incredulously, eyeing his savior's pale features and his ever-alert eyes.

'Come this way,' the mutant beckoned, motioning for the ex X-Man to follow him into the forest. 'And whose brother do you think I am?'

'That other mutant!' Bobby spluttered, ignoring the pain emanating from his entire being as he waddled after the younger mutant.

'One; what other mutant? Two; I'm not a _mutant_!'

'Then who are you?' Bobby asked softly, pausing just outside the forest line and warily observing the boy in the hoodie.

'Sigh. I'm Jack Frost, Guardian of- yeah, well… I'm a Guardian. Now _follow ME_!' the boy whispered urgently, looking over his shoulder once again.

'What about the horse?' Bobby questioned distractedly, peering through the foliage at the creature lurking there.

'Sandy will take care of it,' Jack replied offhandedly.

'Sandy?! Who the f-..'

'Another Guardian... now listen we don't have much time, Pitch might return soon,' Jack began as he led Bobby further away from the shed.

'Missed me?'

The duo froze in their tracks at the sound of a third voice. Jack blinked slowly- the voice didn't belong to Sandy. Bobby frowned as he felt something niggling at the back of his mind… he'd heard this voice before.

'Oh, don't be too shocked, you didn't think we'd let you go so _easily_,' the raspy voice seethed, emanating through the forest.

'Pitch,' Jack snapped, immediately crouching into a defensive stance and adjusting his staff in his palm so that it was stretched out before and pointing towards the trees around them. 'Show yourself!'

'I'd rather not,' was the smug reply.

Bobby shuffled uneasily; his arms still fastened behind him by the cuffs. He'd most definitely heard this voice before.

Short cackles of forced laughter rang out around the forest, reverberating in their heads as the mutant and the Guardian spun on their heels in a vain attempt to lay eyes on their enemy. But Pitch was nowhere to be seen.

'This should be fast,' Pitch's voice hummed cheerily. 'Onyx- take them down.'

The nightmare horse tore his obsidian eyes away from the sky which he had been watching intently and turned to glare at Jack and Bobby. Nostrils flared, it charged at the duo rapidly, disappearing into the shadows of the trees before appearing right before them- jaw unhinged and eyes burning brightly. Jack flung his staff forward in an attempt to attack the nightmare, but it snapped its jaws down on the wooden rod. With a sharp tug of its head, the staff was out of Jack's hands and flying across the clearing.

Pitch laughed ominously around them.

The nightmare reared on its hind-legs and rose over Jack's head, preparing to crush him beneath its massive dark hooves, when it paused and became ever so still.

The creature froze in place, but neither Jack nor Bobby had done anything to ice him.

Jack frowned at the horse but his features soon relaxed a she caught sight of the patch of gold blossoming on the nightmare's broad chest. The darkness which made up the creature dissipated and in its place was the golden sand. The horse dissolved into a burst of yellow gold and drifted away on the breeze to reveal the Sandman a few feet away from where it had last stood, a golden bow in hand with another dreamsand arrow notched in place just in case.

'NO!' Pitch roared loudly, causing the birds to take their flight from the forest trees in a frenzy. Jack smirked at the forest at large.

'Give it up, Pitch- we're stronger than you.'

'NO,' the raspy voice repeated, this time steelier and a touch quieter than before.

The shadows shifted suddenly and from the undergrowth a tall dark figure rose, growling as it did so, the sounds echoing in the forest ominously.

Bobby took a cautionary step back upon instinct. He'd seen this person before, even though he was just a clump of shadows. This was the man who'd held him captive… and tortured him. the man who'd exploited his worst fear and made his mind believe that his body was drowning. Bobby had had to experience the process of death that day- a long, slow and torturous death. He shuddered as he glared at the shadow king.

Jack too seemed startled. Pitch's perseverance to usurp the Guardians had been underestimated.

'Leave now,' the youngest Guardian spat. 'Or we'll be forced to defeat you… _again_.'

Pitch laughed softly in a calm and collected manner that sent eerie chills through Bobby's spine. 'Not this time, _Jack_.'

The man of shadows laced his last word with blatant contempt and if he had had an expression that could be seen Jack would've sworn Pitch that would've been sporting a frowny face. The last time they'd met with the villain he'd seemed to be doing a lot of frowning as well.

'This time… this time I've made friends.'

Jack paused uncertainly, searching the ground with his eyes for his staff. 'Friends you say?'

'Of sorts,' Pitch muttered in an undertone.

Bobby looked up, alarmed. This maniac was receiving help? The Iceman could only think of one other person mad enough to be involved in such a crazy plot.

'He's with Magneto!' he called out, just as Pitch yelled, 'Get those three… NOW!'

Seven figures hurtled through the air, clothed entirely in black with their faces covered in dark masks and hoods. They were no doubt an assembled group of Magneto's followers who had been lurking around, just waiting for Pitch's signal.

Jack cursed himself for having forgotten to scout the area well. He'd expected the rescue to be quick and easy- pop in, grab the mutant, pop out. Clearly, he had been wrong.

The mutants in the hooded garbs circled the trio and efficiently cut off their exits and possible escapes. There was no way out… but up. Jack sprinted forward and slid across the ground, reaching out for his staff. Sandy covered him, blasting his golden dreamsand so as to blind their attackers. Bobby tried his best not to be recaptured; with his hand still bound behind him and his powers nullified, he was of no use. He cowered in the underbrush feeling useless and downright pitiful. The mutants fought the dreamsand and charged for Sandy. The rotund yellow man ran in circles to escape their grasp- his eyes wide with terror. A mutant lashed out with a strange metal-link chain, trying desperately to capture the Guardian of Dreams. His lasso of metal whistled through the air and looped around the Sandman's waist, dragging him backwards- and then the chain shattered. The mutant whom the weapon had belonged to glared at the broken device in shock- ice coated the ends which had been split.

'Keep your hands off him,' Jack growled, protectively shielding Sandy as he blasted each of the mutants in sight with his ice.

Sandy whooped and cheered silently as Jack aimed and fired- knocking the hooded mutants off their feet and spearing them to the ground with shards of ice.

Pitch snarled in the shadows.

'Useless filth,' he roared, shaking the forest with his words. 'I always have to do things myself.'

The darkness shifted eerily and a solid figure stepped through into the forest, moving slowly and fluidly, without a sound.

Jack moved instinctively to cover Sandy and Bobby, staff outstretched and aiming straight at Pitch's shadowy form. The white haired Guardian frowned a she watched the shadows become more solid and take on a willowy humanoid form. He barely had the time to bat an eyelid in despair before the shadows peeled away from the figure before them, leaving a pale, distraught man behind.

Pitch Black looked ancient, as if time had chewed him up and spat him out and unloaded a whole heap of trouble, taxes and a bunch of hungry children on his shoulders. His dark beady eyes had sunken in beneath his sharp forehead, and were held in place by crescent shaped dark circles. His face was long and sallow and his lips were thin and so blue someone would have thought him hypothermic. Yet he stood full in his height with his eerie grace, and his lips were still pulled taut into his ever-present sneer. Dark clothing billowed off his wiry frame and shrouded him in its size. The pale of his neck and face contrasted with the clothes and the mop of dark hair atop his head that stood out from behind in messy spikes. His eyes narrowed into slits as he appraised the trio before him and he began to pace; his long legs moving effortlessly over the rubble and stones of the forest ground. Darkness emanated from his form and he reeked of death and despair. His scent was asphyxiating- Jack could barely breathe as the shadow king neared him.

'Stay away, Pitch,' the youngest Guardian growled softly. 'You know I'm more powerful than you.'

His words caused the other to flinch ever-so-slightly, but he quickly covered it up with a casual shrug.

'Whatever you say, Jack,' Pitch mumbled with his palms in the air. 'I'll just hang near this tree and hurt you- from here.'

'Give it up,' Jack snapped, waving his staff and causing sharp ice shards to fly in every direction. Frost seeped from his feet and coated the forest floor around him. 'Let us go, you've lost.'

Sandy stood out from behind Jack defiantly, crossing his arms over his belly and frowning at the lord of the shadows.

'Or so you think,' Pitch murmured.

His words wafted over the breeze softly, and by the time Jack heard it, Sandy had already stiffened, his eyes wide with fear. The small man jolted forward, dreamsand at the ready, but it was too late. The darkness had reached Jack. A flurry of blacksand swam around the Guardian's face, blurring his vision and seeping into his mind. Bobby suddenly shivered, remembering when he'd seen this sand before. He'd experienced this too- whatever it was. It had hurt him so much- seeped into his head and toyed with his consciousness. It had induced a strange dream- no… a nightmare.

He had experienced his worst fears.

Jack dropped to the ground with a heart-wrenching shriek, eyes staring blankly at a spot on the ground, arms reaching out for something… something. Bobby tried in vain to think of a way to help him, but he was way out of his league. As far as he knew, the X-Men had never come across this sort of magic- it baffled him to the extent that he feared it wholeheartedly. Sandy on the other hand was already working on saving Jack from the nightmare.

He grasped a few grains of blacksand and instantly turned them gold. Hastily, he began to turn the rest of the nightmare inducing sand into his dreamsand. The gold spread across the flurry of black, but soon the darkness ate it up. The black sand grew darker and Jack's cries weakened and turned to whimpers of broken screams. Sandy glared back at Pitch, only to see no one there. They were alone in the forest, with Bobby helpless, Jack broken and Sandy the only one to protect them. The small man turned to the mutant and began to tell him what they needed to do. Bobby watched in bewilderment as pictures of sand flickered rapidly over the Guardian's head, so fast he could barely make out what they were.

'Dude, I…,' Bobby whispered with an apologetic face. 'I have no clue what you just said.'

The Sandman sighed wearily.

Behind them, Jack screamed loud enough to tear his lungs, and curled into a fetal position on the floor and cried.

* * *

Kitty grunted as she maneuvered the jet to land in a clearing. It was hard enough flying a craft she had never flown before, but she had adapted to its mechanisms swiftly- being an avid learner Kitty Pryde was never too old for something new. But this time around, flying hadn't been pleasant at all. She flew nervously, her hands jittering on the controls. She couldn't bear to think of what could have happened to Bobby Drake- it was all her fault. He'd left the team to live a life unhindered and now she'd pulled him back into the mess that was the X-Men. Now, he was probably dead.

What's worse was that she understood what Bobby had been trying to do. On a random Sunday, when Headmistress duties where less and the students weren't trying too hard to cause any trouble and most definitely when an evil mastermind wasn't trying to conquer Earth, she'd find herself wondering what life would've been like for her if she'd been _normal_. Would she have grown up pretty and innocent- without years of battle scars and lacerations to mar her skin? Would she have gone on dates with a boy she liked and spent a few years in love? Would she have studied well or have done sports? Would she have married early- how many kids would she have had?

Now, at the ripe old age of thirty two, Kitty Pryde couldn't come to terms with the fact that she was _still_ trying to save the world- and what's worse, the world never _stayed_ safe. Was all that she'd done all her life futile? She felt as if all her life's work had led up to a big fat nothing.

And here she was again- out on the field, causing havoc and watching her friends die.

Stupid humans. They never learned.

'There, we're down,' she said, once the small jet safely thumped onto the forest floor. 'Out, out, out! Get down and start running. Bobby is around here somewhere- we find him and rendezvous here.'

'We're splitting up?' Elsa asked incredulously.

'Yep,' Hellion replied, already heading for the exit. 'You and me, Blondie. Kitty and Wolverine can take Match.'

'No,' Elsa protested. 'Things always go wrong when the protagonists separate! I've read enough adventure novels to know. We're sticking together. Now let's go.'

Hellion's face dropped slightly.

Elsa whipped her platinum blonde hair over her shoulder and marched out the jet, not sparing a glance to see if she was being followed by the rest of her team.

'You've got competition, Pryde,' Wolverine whispered lowly, watching the cryokinetic leave with wary eyes.

Sparing one last grin at the stunned Headmistress the Wolverine sauntered out in search of the missing ex X-man.

Toothiana greeted them outside, fluttering nervously with a frown upon her face.

'X-Men!' she exclaimed when she caught sight of the team emerging from the jet. 'Something happened here. Something bad- I can tell. There are magic residues in the area.'

'That's a real suspicious looking shed over there,' Match observed flatly, raising a brow at the wooden shack.

'Suspicious how?' Kitty asked tiredly, wincing as her boots crunched loudly on the soil.

'I mean, come on!' Match exclaimed. 'It's in the middle of nowhere… its centuries old… it's most definitely where they've hidden Bobby! How cliché is_ that_?!'

'Yeah,' Elsa laughed along. 'It's almost as if they _wanted_ us to find it.'

There was an excruciating pause which seemed as if it would go on forever until Tooth swooped in and broke the silence.

'What's a cliché?' she asked quietly, a small frown settling upon her brows.

Hellion gulped slowly and wheeled around on his heels to peer at the forest behind them.

'If what you said was true,' he murmured to Elsa. 'Then we may have walked into an ambush.'

'Funny how we always seem to do that,' Kitty groaned under her breath with a scowl.

'What's that supposed to mean?' Wolverine asked harshly.

'Well, I don't know Logan, how many ambushes have we gone through- tell me that,' the Headmistress snapped.

'Those weren't my fault!' Wolverine proclaimed in a snappy whisper. 'At least not _all _of them!'

'You guys!' Tooth snapped, interrupting their whisper-war hastily. 'There's something in the forest.'

Sure enough, a muffled screaming sound emanated through the trees, making the fresh green leaves quiver among the lofty branches. The mutants exchanged wary glances and Hellion stepped forward silently, motioning that he would go in first. Wolverine grunted in protest but the telekinetic went anyway, brushing past ferns and branches as he crept silently into the forest.

'You have _got_ to teach your students discipline,' Wolverine hissed at Kitty, his eyes glaring angrily.

'They're your students too!' Pryde snapped back in retort, balling her fists and standing on her toes to reach his height as much as she could.

Elsa watched them wearily. 'You guys! Quiet-,'

A shout of exclamation interrupted her and they all started towards the forest instinctively.

Was Hellion in trouble? Elsa groaned inwardly as she stampeded over the shrubbery with no regard for the amount of plants she squished underfoot. How stupid could she have been? Did she really let Hellion come out here alone? What if he'd been hurt- or_ worse_, captured? Oh no, she gulped as her heart thumped violently in her chest, bashing at her ribs as she charged through the forest in search of the telekinetic whose voice reverberated through the trees.

'I've found them! Over here!' he shouted huskily.

Elsa followed his voice to another clearing, except smaller, at whose center were three huddled figures. Hellion stood above them, extending a hand to help Bobby to his feet.

'You're okay,' Elsa murmured as she caught sight of the telekinetic, watching him with relief.

He looked up from Bobby and caught her eyes. 'Oi, Blondie. Stop gaping like a fish and come help,' he snapped irritably. 'Your boyfriend's hurt too.'

'My- my what?' Elsa mumbled stupidly, turning a deep shade of red for having been caught staring.

'Jack!' Tooth exclaimed as she flew past, landing just a few inches shy of the youngest Guardian's face.

He was sprawled across the ground, looking exhausted. His eyes were shut and his lips were slightly parted and blue. His skin was scratched around his eyes and cheeks were sallow. Red streaks stood out from his pale skin and his nail beds and knuckles were bleeding as if he'd been in a fight. Tooth hovered beside him in concern, leaning down to check his pulse. The result made her eyes widen and her mouth drop open. Worriedly she dropped to her knees and cradled his face in her tiny hands. She whispered softly to him, as if praying.

Elsa watched her despair from afar and stayed standing to a side as the others swarmed around Bobby to help him up. He was cuffed by some strange device that apparently prevented him from using his powers. Kitty said she'd never seen such technology before since M-day. Wolverine inspected Sandy who was passed out a few feet away. He was in a far better condition than Jack was, and Bobby explained that he was just exhausted from spending the last half hour trying to help Jack.

Bobby told them how Jack had tried to save him from Pitch and they'd narrowly escaped a nightmare horse, whom Sandy had killed, but then Pitch himself had turned up and set a handful of mutants on them. Jack had defeated them easy enough- but then Pitch had done some curse on him.

'He gave Jack a nightmare?' Tooth asked, horrified.

'What's that mean?' Wolverine asked, annoyed to have such little grasp on what was going on around him.

What was so wrong with having nightmares? He had nightmares about all the wars he'd fought, almost every other night- nobody heard him complaining.

Okay maybe he did complain... a _bit_... but that was besides the point.

'Pitch was rumored to have been able to detect people's worst fears and make them suffer it- but the last time we crossed paths he never utilized that power so we assumed he didn't possess it.'

Hellion grunted. 'Last time you crossed paths you also assumed he was dead.'

Tooth bowed her head.

'Give her a break, Julian. Check up on the Frost boy. Match come over here and help me with these cuffs!' Kitty ordered.

Wolverine stood to a side and pulled out one of Hans' expensive cigars and stuck it between his lips.

'Want me to try melting it off?' Match asked as he headed to aid Kitty. 'I might burn him though.'

Hellion groaned as he whirled around to help Jack. Making a subtle insult at the Guardian, he stooped down low to scoop the boy into his arms. The white haired boy was so wry and small; Hellion was able to effortlessly cradle his frame in his muscular arms.

'Gosh he weighs next to nothing,' he muttered as he headed out of the small clearing.

'What are you doing?' Tooth demanded, flying around him in an attempt to halt his movements. 'Give him back; I'll take care of him!'

'You go attend to Sand-dude. I'll take him back to the jet, there's a first aid kit there,' Hellion replied with a quick eye-roll.

'You know first aid?' Elsa asked in interest as he walked past her with Jack.

'No, but you do.'

'But- I'm not coming-!'

'Oh yes you are.'

Elsa grunted as an invisible force closed around her waist and dragged her through the forest and towards the larger clearing where the jet stood, gleaming in the sunlight.

'Ugh,' she groaned. 'Those leaves slapped my face!'

'Good, now I don't have to do that,' Hellion snapped from up ahead.

'Why would you slap me?' Elsa gasped in horror. 'You can't slap me.'

'Who says?'

'You- you _can't_.'

'I can.'

'You **won't**!

'I will.'

Pause.

'You aren't…'

'Yeah I know my hands are a little busy right now, you know, carrying your boyfriend, saving his life... all _that_.'

'He's not my boyfriend- ugh! Put me down!'

Hellion laughed out loud, pausing to let go of his telekinetic hold on the cryokinetic behind him, before stepping into the craft. He dumped Jack's unresponsive body onto the floor of the aircraft and headed to the back in search of a first aid box, or something of the sort.

'His pulse is very slow,' Elsa murmured, crouching beside the Guardian and watching his face intently for any sign of movement.

'Where's that damn box?' Hellion grunted in annoyance.

'Try under the seats,' Elsa offered, eyes still trained on Jack's pale features.

His lips moved ever so slightly as he inhaled, but there were no other responses.

Hellion complained to himself as he returned from the far end of the jet to where the Guardian lay on the floor and paused in his ranting as he took in the sight of Elsa leaning over the pale boy with so much concern- his chest did something funny.

'Got the box?' the cryokinetic asked softly, turning her head to glance up at him.

'Eh,' Hellion muttered, suddenly feeling very, very awkward. 'Yeah I- I mean no... I'm just, looking for it. Yeah...'

Elsa didn't seem to notice his unease. Nodding slowly she turned back to face Jack and searched his face for any signs of him regaining consciousness.

Hellion blinked rapidly to shake away the strange feeling creeping up his chest and hurriedly peered under the seat in the cabin in search of the first aid box. He found it and returned to where Elsa was seated and handed it over to her.

'Now what?' he asked, watching Elsa as she pulled out a tube of medicine and started dabbing some of its contents gently on Jack's wounds with a cotton ball.

'I don't really know what to do,' she muttered when she was done. 'He's unconscious right? Then... uhm- then…'

'Girls are supposed to know these things,' Hellion huffed, sliding down into a seated position across from her.

'My sister was the nurse-y one out of the two of us,' she mumbled to herself, staring to the side blankly.

Hellion paused. 'You miss her?'

The cryokinetic snapped her head back around to stare at him.

_Great_, Hellion yelled at himself. _You ruined it big time… never mention family- haven't you learned anything?! It all goes downhill when someone mentions family- _

'I miss her like crazy,' she whispered, almost inaudibly.

Her blue eyes glared deep into his own dark ones and even though Hellion felt as if he should have been uncomfortable at the emotions they conveyed, he couldn't help but relax under her gaze. He felt… warm somehow.

_Ew_, he hated this feeling. He hated himself for feeling the feeling. He shook it off silently and tore his eyes away from hers, determined not to give into the weirdness surrounding them. So much and happened in the past few hours- he was just confused.

Plus they hated each other… right?

'Do you miss her?' Elsa asked.

Hellion winced- at least she hadn't asked him about family. His head swam with sad memories and depressing thoughts but the twist of his heart at the mention of _her death_ was far less painful than it had been.

'Yeah- I… no. Actually I- …yeah. No,' he mumbled incoherently, turning his eyes away and down towards the floor. He glared at the steel beneath him and wished he would never have to look up and see the pity in her eyes.

He looked up.

She wasn't looking at him pitifully.

She just appraised him with a cool crystal blue gaze, as if it was perfectly normal to go through excruciating losses such as death and Hellion suddenly realized that she may have gone through the very same thing he'd just experienced. Loss.

Another thought hit him then; shot through his mind like a strike of lightening, and as cliché as that sounded, that was exactly what it felt like. If Elsa had really gone through as much loss as he himself had, had she had somebody with her to go through it?

Somehow, he doubted that.

He had a feeling she had been rather detached in her childhood- most of them were. Their powers made them social rejects. But she seemed to have gotten through her pain effectively; she was strong, independent and lively… something he never expected from someone so small and wry. She was cleverer than most of them and adapted very fast to the changes in her life. She must have gone through so much pain, he realized, but that hadn't crippled her ability to care for others and show concern and... love. She was _extraordinary_- and in that moment Hellion felt so immensely glad for her, he felt his heart swell within his rib cage and pound furiously there.

Gosh he loved her.

….Wait- _**what**_?!

Hellion gulped painfully and froze; his blood seemed to pause in its course through his body and even his heart decided to take a break from beating and stopped to stare at his brain in light of what it had just thought.

He couldn't believe it.

No.

He was lost and alone. He was in pain. He had thought nothing of the sort.

Hadn't he?

**No**. he hadn't.

He hadn't thought anything of the sort. He was just tired. Tired, lost and _alone_.

* * *

Elsa flickered her gaze down to Jack, unaware of the mental battle raging in the telekinetic's mind.

She watched the Guardian stir in his unconscious state and allowed herself a wry smile. He was going to be okay. A little bit shaken up and very distraught- but healthy otherwise. She traced a finger softly over his brow and wiped the sweat from his forehead. Jack jerked slightly in response to her cold touch and turned over. He was conscious… he was okay.

Kitty, Wolverine and Tooth barged into the craft with Bobby trudging wearily behind them. Kitty and Wolverine were carrying Sandy between them.

'Is he alright?' Elsa asked in concern.

'He'll be fine,' Kitty grunted while Wolverine snapped, 'Who cares?'

'Hey,' Tooth whined in protest, hands upon her tiny waist.

'Hey, yourself!' Wolverine retorted. 'Out with you, Feathers- no birds on the plane.'

Bobby collapsed tiredly into a seat in the cabin and groaned in pain.

'Get these _offa_ me,' he mumbled.

'I tried,' Match muttered, glancing at the cuffs which had barely a scratch on them.

'They didn't melt?' Elsa asked, over the sound of Wolverine and Kitty's banter over who got to pilot the jet back to the manor.

'I was co-pilot last time, let me fly the damn thing!' Wolverine argued.

'You don't even know how to!' Pryde snapped back.

Match sat down heavily and began strapping himself into the safety harness. 'Didn't even warm up. I think I burned his hands a bit though.'

'Maybe I should try,' Elsa offered, glancing up at Bobby's weary face.

'It repels ice powers, luv,' the Iceman murmured wearily. 'Don't waste your time.'

Elsa opened her mouth to object, but Hellion beat her to it.

'We'll get Hank to help when we get back,' the telekinetic mumbled; his voice somewhat strained.

'Are you alright?' Elsa questioned suspiciously, glaring at the boy across from her and taking in his uncomfortable expression.

Hellion sat straighter with a startled look on his face. 'I- uh what?'

Match chuckled dryly. 'You look like a tased chipmunk!'

'I don't' Hellion muttered hotly.

'You actually do!' Elsa laughed, eyeing his quickly spreading blush.

Hellion looked away sharply and clambered off the floor and onto a seat. Wolverine shoved Kitty into the co-pilot's chair and ordered everyone else to prepare for takeoff. Jack and Sandy were strapped into vacant seats and were harnessed tightly so they didn't fall out and injure themselves.

Wolverine wasn't usually affiliated with safe driving.

Match offered to pray for their lives.

Tooth left the craft and took to the skies, her wings propelling her forward and into the clouds. After a few wrong switches and failed attempts at starting the engines, the Headmaster finally managed to steer the jet out of the clearing and flew it into the sky, taking as many swerves as he could and completing one successful 360 degree loop.

His passengers weren't pleased.

Especially Kitty Pryde.

* * *

a/n: a few things:

_first;_

HAPPY BIRTHDAY **XOXO! **I was stuck on this chapter for over two weeks- i was bogged down with a load of work and then just this morning i saw your review and thought to myself, screw all of this sh*t i'm finishing this goddamn chapter for this goddamn reviewer's birthday. so here we are. i'm sorry its not amazing.. i know its lame and its kinda a filler... but i did it for_ you_. a very happy birthday to you wherever you are. hope you had a great one- you're awesome. don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

_second;_

i am so so sorry to all of you hanging on for my updates.. **arianas** you apologized for being pushy- don't be sorry. i'm the one who should be apologizing and i do so wholeheartedly. life caught up to me and i had to take care of it. very very sorry.

_third;_

hope you liked the chapter.. all reviews are welcome- fave follow and revieeeww :3

and... a hundred reviews?! seriously guys?! what is this? christmas? oh gawsh ^.^

hang on for chappie 21 :* (wow we've gotten so far! omg)

i love you all keep blazing and stay amazing xx


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: not my stuff... la la la la... just my plot :)**

**read a/n at the end!**

**read & review :3**

* * *

'You _stole_ a jet?!'

Hank's distressed voice crackled over the comms of the compact aircraft, startling it's passengers. Wolverine lost his grip on the controls and for millisecond, the jet dropped in altitude.

'I turn away for a second, Pryde- a second!- and you all have run off to save Bobby! A little warning would've sufficed... I searched everywhere for you two.

Logan! How irresponsible!'

'H-how did you find us?' Kitty mumbled into the headset, stunned.

Hank whined over the comms, sounding very much like a child abandoned by his friends- which was pretty much what he was.

'Trance told me,' he grouched. 'And this morning those business tycoons, you know the SouthernIsles and Co. guys, they disowned their youngest sibling.

Some guy called Hands. He looks like a weasel. But get this- he "lost" their newest jet. Now what could've happened to it?'

Kitty cringed at Hank's sarcastic tone. Wolverine laughed loudly into his headset and the rest of the team tried in vain to hold back their giggles.

'His name is Hans,' Kitty replied with a straight face.

'And I don't care! But you stole his jet! Seriously? Have we stooped that low?' Hank cried.

'Well, we technically just borrowed it,' Kitty retorted.

'Yeah right. Anyway, I tracked you guys down and made a comms link- that craft has little to no defense mechanisms. So lame. And now you need to turn the bird around, Pryde. There's massive activity south from where you're headed.'

'Why what's going on?' Kitty asked, perking up at the new information.

'Change your course and I'll explain on the way,' Hank reasoned.

'Tell that to Logan,' the headmistress grumbled.

'Logan?!' Hank screeched. 'HE'S flying the jet? Good lord.'

'I know right?' Kitty groaned. 'I feel airsick for the first time in my life.

'Hey! I'm not that bad, woman!' Wolverine snapped, twisting the jet around to complete another loop in the air.

His passengers moaned behind him and Match threw up again.

'See?' Wolverine crowed in triumph, sporting a boyish grin. 'Perfect. Precision.'

Kitty rolled her eyes inconspicuously.

'Since you're so great, Logan,' she began hastily, reaching out to place a hand on the Headmaster's bicep. 'Why don't you turn the craft around- in perfect precision?'

Wolverine beamed. 'Hell yeah I will!'

Hank groaned over the comms link. 'I am surrounded by idiots,' he said.

Match exchanged a worried glance with Hellion.

'I can tell this isn't going to be good,' he whispered shakily, his face a sour shade of green.

Bobby chuckled in amusement. 'Think of this as a giant roller-coaster in Disneyland!'

Match paled even further- if that was even possible considering how white he had become and cried out; 'But I hate Disneyland!'

* * *

Jack felt like road kill. His head hurt terribly, his body stung in various places and he was emotionally drained. His spine was too weary to support the rest of his body mass and left him slouched in his seat. If it weren't for the safety harness he would have been out of his seat and on the floor of the jet in a second, judging by the way Wolverine was piloting the craft. The entire jet swung this way and that, causing the pyrokinetic on board to be vehemently airsick. He threw up every other minute, causing everyone else around him to feel nauseous as well.

Jack didn't feel nauseous. He felt like road kill. He felt like as if his very soul had been dragged out of his chest- like in that book Jamie had given him to read, the big one with that green-eyed boy.

He felt like he'd been kissed by a Dementor.

His chest ached longingly for solace and he found it in a pair of crystal blue eyes staring at him in concern.

He lifted a corner of his lips as a form of consoling Elsa's worries about him and shifted his gaze away from her. It wouldn't do to drag her into his personal problems- and he was the last person on Earth who deserved her concern.

What he had seen was far too despairing and devastating for him to speak of. Another might have found his fears trivial- but to him, they were nightmares. He spent half of his century old life living in this fear and had never really got over it.

It hurt him so much he could barely breathe. What Pitch now possessed was a potent weapon; to know people's fears, and to be able to exploit it in the worst way possible, was to have the upper-hand. Pitch was going to be unstoppable with this power and with no one to stop him he would run rampant and traumatize the entire planet.

The Guardians had to find another way to destroy him. The king of shadows wouldn't be so easily defeated this time around. However, as much as he wanted to, Jack couldn't rendezvous with the rest of the Guardians any time soon for Kitty Pryde had seen to that they efficiently switched courses. Hank had ordered them to do so and head south where mutant activity had suddenly risen. Professor Xavier had found out this information through the use of his machine named Cerebro and had suggested that the team of X-Men already out on the field should investigate into the matter further. Jack had a strange feeling that the activity at where they were headed was going to result in something terrible.

He didn't know if he was ready for another fight. That nightmare had left him disconcerted and disconnected. All he wanted to do now was curl in to a ball and sit in a corner all day without having to speak to a soul. But instead of being isolated with his feelings, Jack was amidst a gaggle of mutants who all seemed to have decided that the best time for a war-strategy-conference was during a flight. Hellion and Bobby, who was still cuffed, were out of their seats and standing at the controls beside Kitty Pryde and Wolverine. They all chattered and argued relentlessly about their next step. Wolverine spent more of his time insulting the Headmistress while the latter concentrated on keeping the jet flying at a constant altitude and speed so as not to cause the standing passengers to hurt themselves by tipping over. She had wrangled the pilot's position from Wolverine a few hours ago after the legendary X-Man had attempted an outlandish experimental stunt that had very nearly ended badly.

Match remained firmly harnessed into his seat in a corner, beside the snoring Sandman, looking much less green now that Wolverine was no longer piloting the craft. Elsa sat across from the youngest Guardian, eyeing him with growing concern. After a pause, she rose from her seat and plopped herself into the spare beside him.

'Hey you,' Elsa whispered with a small smile. 'Feeling any better?'

'Much,' Jack mumbled back, offering a wry grin in return.

He felt the need to say more as she glanced back at him with worry in her eyes.

'I- uh, thanks for helping me back there,' he murmured.

Elsa smiled and her gaze flickered for a moment. 'That was Hellion.'

Jack paused. 'Oh.'

'Nice of him, wasn't it?' Elsa added awkwardly.

'Very,' Jack offered, with equal uneasiness.

'So..,' Elsa trailed off, not wanting to seem intrusive but desperately curious.

Jack remained silent, turning away from her to glare angrily at a corner, lost in his thoughts. Lost in himself.

'You know, you could tell me _anything_,' Elsa prodded.

'No, I can't,' Jack answered immediately, turning blue eyes round to gaze at her sadly.

Elsa stiffened and began to move away; hastily looking around to make sure no one else had noticed the upfront rejection she'd just encountered. Thankfully, no one had. With little of her pride intact, she made to scuttle away and cower in her seat across from him, when Jack's hand shot out to grasp her won and held her back.

'No wait,' he whisper-shouted. 'I didn't mean it that way! I just… I don't deserve any help from you. Especially not from you- I left you alone with your problems when I should've made myself seen and helped you.'

Elsa's heart fluttered involuntarily. 'Oh Jack,' she whispered. 'No one deserves to be left alone.'

The boy glanced up at her, eyes weary and a frown set over his eyes. 'I do.'

The way he said those words, with such sincerity and conviction- Elsa's heartstrings tore apart.

'Don't say that,' she objected, quickly slipping back into her seat beside him and placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

He pulled away slightly and sighed. His eyes looked weary and old- centuries old. 'You wouldn't understand, Els,' he muttered in an undertone.

'Try me.'

He smiled. 'Another time.'

'Tell me goddammit!'

Jack chuckled dryly. 'So persistent.'

Elsa blushed a furious scarlet. She frowned at the Guardian beside her and crossed her arms over her chest. 'I'm waiting.'

Jack sobered up immediately. 'Elsa,' he began. 'I suck.'

'Gee thanks, but I kinda already knew that,' the cryokinetic joked with a wince.

Jack shot her a "knock it off, seriously" look. 'I actually do. You know what? I was never even awarded this guardianship… it was like a second chance. Like- hey you messed up real bad don't do it again. But my second life- or whatever- it came with a price. This massive price … something I didn't even bargain for- from that moment on... I was alone.'

'Is that what you saw in your nightmare?' Elsa asked with bated breath.

Jack flinched; locks of white hair shielding his eyes from view as they fell in his face as he jerked involuntarily at the mention of the traumatic experience he'd just been through.

'Never mind,' Elsa amended hastily. 'You don't have to answer that.'

He answered anyway. 'That among others,' he said.

'Do you want to talk about it?'

Jack looked up at her with big baby seal eyes that shone like ice crystals in pure moonlight, and began whispering; 'It started with her- it always usually starts with her. In all the fearsome nightmares I've ever had, it always starts with her. But this time, Pitch's nightmare somehow made it worse. She was about to die as usual… but like always, I never managed to save her. And she drowned. In the ice. Cold and alone. Leaving me in the cold… all alone.'

Elsa gulped. She asked him who he meant.

'My sister,' came the shaky reply.

'Where is she now?'

'We lived almost a century ago.'

'A century?!'

'Maybe… maybe not. Time passes extraordinarily slowly when you're alone.'

Elsa stayed silent, processing the information Jack had just revealed. He'd spent years upon years all on his own with no one to be beside him? Maybe he'd had had to watch his family grow old and pass away… how could the Moon-man-guy have been so cruel? Jack must have felt so lost.

'What's worse was- and here comes the next bit of the nightmare,' Jack gulped quietly. 'Nobody believed in me.'

Elsa frowned slightly. 'What's that mean?'

'Guardians,' Jack explained slowly. 'We exist purely for the children who believe…. And when no one believes in us our existence is pretty much useless. We become useless. No one can see us or acknowledge us… they just walk right through you. Me. They walked right through me. Everyone I loved and cared for- my sister, Jamie, the Guardians…my friends… you.'

He paused to inhale heavily and slouched further into his chair.

'Are you scared of being alone, Jack?' Elsa asked tentatively.

The Guardian shook his head gently. 'I'm scared of what being alone might make me.'

'And what might it make you?'

'Angry.'

Elsa sat back thoughtfully, rolling his words around in her head. He didn't want to become vengeful. Why was he so afraid of becoming vengeful? Jack was the last person on Earth who'd ever become vengeful…

'As much as I'd like to deny it,' Jack murmured, as if he could sense her thoughts. 'Pitch and I have a lot in common.'

Elsa felt stumped. 'You'll never be like _him_,' she cried, outraged that he could even assume such a thing.

'You two okay?' Hellion called from the cockpit as Jack urged her to lower her voice while looking around them frantically.

'Yeah,' the Guardian replied hastily. 'Just fine.'

The telekinetic shot Jack a suspicious glare and slowly turned back to the discussion taking place before him. Elsa turned back to Jack and stared him down.

'Don't think like that, Jack. It'll only make it worse.'

Jack sighed. 'Don't worry about it, Els. I can take care of it myself.'

'I didn't say you couldn't,' Elsa said sourly. 'I'm just saying you should change the way you're doing it.'

'And why should I?' Jack questioned, suddenly flaring up protectively around his deepest darkest fear.

'Well clearly it isn't working!'

'Oh really?'

'Yes, really.'

'Why'd you say that?!'

'You're still afraid.'

Jack fell silent and sniffed inconspicuously. Brushing an arm at his eyes he sighed deeply and collapsed further into his seat. 'Gah, I just wanna get home,' he whined, clamming up around his emotions and erecting a hundred foot wall over his heart.

Elsa gave up. Clearly she wasn't getting anywhere. Lately, her people skills had been taking a tumble down a hill. She'd nearly broken Hellion and now she'd scared Jack away. She winced internally and berated herself for ever attempting to intervene in their personal problems. Boys, she decided, were a mystery to be left unsolved. Now a girl on the other hand would've fancied a nice long chat about their problems- she knew for a fact that Anna always consulted her best friend Merida for when she was having a crisis.

A pang of longing shot through Elsa's heart. _She_ was the one Anna should have been consulting. Oh how miserable life was-

'You're in my seat Blondie.'

Ah yes, Hellion and his chivalry to save the day.

'Can't you sit there?' she asked him, looking up into his unreadable face and pointing across to where she had been sitting.

'I like the view from here,' the telekinetic replied smugly, raising a brow with perfect precision.

It was his left brow. Elsa noted that with deep interest; most people raised their right brow- it was the easiest and it usually went up all the way, but Hellion preferred to raise his left. It only raised slightly, a gentle graceful tilt. It made him look far more displeased and cocky. She wondered if he had considered the psychological impacts behind eyebrow-raising before doing so…

'Oi, Blondie,' Hellion snapped, waving a hand before her face. 'You getting up today or what?'

Elsa started. 'Oh please Hellion, just suck it up there's no view anyway.'

He huffed and opened his mouth to argue further but was cut off by Kitty announcing that she was about land and everyone needed to be seated in order for her to do so.

Hellion shot the cryokinetic a glare and ambled over to the seat across from her. Elsa sported a triumphant smile upon her face.

It always felt nice to trump him at their verbal battles- probably because it was a given that if their battles ever got physical she was bound to lose. Hellion was master of his powers, the last and youngest telekinetic on Earth. He'd had years and years of training and had fostered under the best, most legendary, X-Men ever. He was also fun to yell at. Elsa bit her teeth into her lip to keep herself from smiling like a dork. What was it about this guy that made her feel weird again? Oh yeah… _chocolate._ No wait- what? His_ eyes._ His beautiful brown chocolaty eyes… so deep and dark and mysterious- what secrets do you hold dear mister Hellion's eyes?

Elsa froze. She was losing it. Little by little she felt her brain dissolve into gooey puddles of mush that farted pink hearts and squealed _'hellion love meeeeeee'_. She shrugged. Yeah he was good looking… no objection there, and he was kinda nice. Sometimes. Ah who was she kidding? He was a great guy- but she didn't like him… not in that way. She felt her mushy brain goo start to cry. Okay so maybe she had a leeetle bit of _affection_ for him. **NOT** in the I-really-want-to-kiss-your-face-off way, but the I-would-be-very-sad-if-you-died-or-got-hurt way.

Yeah. That made sense. She just felt _fondly_ for him.

Hah, _fondly_, what an efficient word- it was so vague. Ten points, Els, she told herself.

Wow, she really was going nuts.

Maybe her _affection_ went a tiny bit further than _fondness_…

What no! Plus he loved another girl, Elsa reminded herself, slapping her head mentally for ever forgetting X-23 and the uncanny chemistry Hellion had shared with her.

But she's dead now, Elsa's deepest darkest subconscious murmured, reaching for the fluffy cat that was clawing its way out of her hands.

Elsa felt horrified. She couldn't have feelings for Hellion while he was mourning his dead girlfriend!

Her dark side groaned in defeat and dumped the cat on the floor.

She couldn't do that to him. Plus, she'd promised to be his rock. As far as she knew, being a girlfriend didn't fit in a rock's job description.

Rocks were fat and ugly.

She sighed and looked across the jet, at the dark haired boy sitting in her previous seat, wincing slightly as the craft shuddered with the first signs of landing.

She couldn't do that to him. He still loved X-23, she could tell. He'd been so broken when she'd died… no one got over that so easily. Or so quickly.

But it wasn't like she liked him or anything, right?

Elsa frowned as she struggled to decipher her own emotions.

'We're here,' Kitty called. 'This is where magneto is. Angel and Hank are sending in reinforcements. Till they arrive, we scout the perimeter and spy a bit.'

'Yee-haw,' Match cheered with false enthusiasm.

'And where are we exactly?' Hellion asked as he rose from his seat and made his way to the exit.

Kitty raised an eyebrow at his question and shot a glance at the youngest Guardian on board.

She made eye contact with him and he seemed to understand what the answer was and paled considerably at the revelation.

Pryde said; 'We're in Burgess.'

* * *

Wind howled in the trees, and even though it was now spring, the air still felt cold and crisp. The breeze chilled her skin and caused goose bumps to race across her bare flesh, and a shiver trailed down her spine. She was clothed scantily, in a ridiculous leather costume piece that came with a cape which flapped behind her in the wind. The other cast glances her way and whispered about her presence in their ranks. She held her head high and tottered past them shakily, unfamiliar with the outrageous heels of her new boots. The shoes were of the finest leather, sticking to her toned calves like a second skin. But she was freezing- literally. The cold wind brushed against the skin she'd left revealed and she berated herself for ever thinking dressing up like this was a good idea. She'd expected a dramatic change in wardrobe would be perfect to mark her own metamorphosis- innocence to maturity, light to dark. Now she just felt stupid.

Her magenta hair fluttered in the breeze, three shades darker than the neon pink it used to be. The maroon locks tumbled across her shoulders and framed her face perfectly. The cape tangled in her feet as she took long strides to escape her fellow mutant's laughter. She would rise above them. She would show them all how powerful she really was. Anger shuddered in her heart and she whipped her souldagger out and held it menacingly by her side. It glowed viciously and spewed a dark purple fog. The other instantly cowed- mollified by the potent power of the weapon. Pixie smirked defiantly and went along her way, doing her best to minimize her shaky teetering.

She really needed Magneto to get her a different costume. One that covered more of her ass perhaps...

* * *

a/n: hey guys! new update. it's not long... but yeah. meh. it's raining. i need coffee and tumblr.

anyway, a few things;

**first-**  
about Elsa realizing her feelings towards Hellion... not right now. i mean girls aren't so simple. sometimes we are and we decide that we love the guy.. but when complications arise... we like to protect our hearts from possible pain and then make things complicated for ourselves. Elsa is convinced that Hellion still loves X-23 and why not? He was pretty attached to her. but there was no real chemistry as such... but she doesn't know that. and she's protecting herself so she's covering up her feelings with... DENIAL.

yeah. so..

**second-  
**i hope Jack's nightmare made sense. that was the only thing i thought would scare him most- being alone and becoming like Pitch. if anyone remembers, in the movie, Pitch tries to recruit him and tells him how much alike they are. and i thought.. hey that would scar him a bit- i mean, evil villain telling you that you're both the same. _not scary at all_ *sarcasm* so tell me what you think? or what you expected it to be?

**third-  
**wow we're getting so far- i can't believe i only started this fic this year! thanks to all of you for the support. let's keep it up eh? i'll keep writing for you guys... you keep reviewing for me! i LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear what you guys have to say... even if you point out the story's flaws. that's perfect. keep going! it makes me feel properly criticized ^.^ review whatever you want! and what about that bit with Megan huh? just a bit of an explanation.. that's me venting out my hatred for how female superheroes are dressed. all the comics have them dressed in so little- i mean is it even practical? can they fight baddies in that bikini?! and i also thought Megan would feel cooler to dress like that... but then reality hits her and she feels ridiculous.

i dunno

that's what i thought. you guys criticize away!

review fave and follow

i'll be back!


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: not my charactersss :/ sad i know. i mean... if it were mine- would Frozen really have ended that way? ;) think about it..**

**a/n at ze bottom, read it :P**

**and read this...**

**and review fave and follow!**

* * *

'Dammit,' he said, for what was probably the hundredth time.

'Calm your face, Ken,' Elsa sighed.

'We've been here for hours,' Hellion whined, placing his chin upon his palm and slouching in his seat.

'And we're going to be here longer so I suggest you get over yourself and stop pouting.'

'I'm not pouting,' the telekinetic muttered defensively, shooting Elsa a pointed glare.

She merely chuckled and dragged her gaze away from his miserable expression and turned round to observe the diner. It was almost crowded what with it being lunch hour, and the happy people of Burgess were already wrapping up their meals. The small, cozy diner was incredibly retro and was run by the friendliest elderly woman Elsa had ever met in her whole life. The customers themselves were friendly enough- it seemed as if the town was well acquainted with each other, which only made the newcomers stick out like sore thumbs. It was proving hard to sneak around when everyone was paying them unwanted attention. Hellion thought it was because of her hair and that it scared the town. Elsa thought it was because he couldn't keep the expletives out of his vocabulary and_ that_ scared the town. His language was foul. Especially once he had found out that there wasn't a technological device more advanced than a simple television set for miles. Since then the two had been dropped off Mission: Spy-Around- Till- Hank- Arrives- With- The- Big- Guns and now were sitting miserably in a vintage red booth in the back of the diner.

Hellion, who was staring out the window to his left, let out a strangled moan and ducked his head behind the back of his seat hurriedly.

Elsa eyed him silently, a smirk tugging at her lips, fighting to win.

'I can hear you smirking, Blondie,' Hellion cried, his voice muffled by the crook of his arm that now shielded his face.

Elsa said nothing and sat back to watch the show. Hellion rarely ever embarrassed himself, and had she ever mentioned before how absolutely _marvelous_ his face looked when he blushed?

'Just keep quiet and tell her I'm not here?' Hellion asked quickly, before sliding beneath their table without explanation.

Elsa paused. 'Tell who?' she asked with a hiss, looking up from their table to meet a pair of ridiculously large green eyes staring back at her expectantly.

She stared back.

'Hi,' the girl said anxiously, raising a hand in askance as a form of greeting.

Elsa managed a smile. 'Hi, yourself,' she said, attempting to be polite. 'Anything I could help you with?'

She felt a sharp poke on her calf and jerked slightly in her seat, trying her best not to cry out. Obviously Hellion didn't want her attempting small talk. He just wanted this girl gone. Elsa wanted to find out why. She kicked him gently under the table and looked back up at the girl.

She was about fifteen, small in stature and build and height. She was wiry to say the least, and her dreadlock-like hair didn't do her any good. Neither did her freckly face, giant emerald eyes and pouty lips. She glanced nervously at Elsa and murmured her reply. 'There _is _something…,' she trailed off.

'Wanna talk about it?'

'Have you got any time?'

'Sure. Come on,' Elsa grinned. 'Have a seat.'

She gestured to the seat across her which Hellion had hastily vacated and felt the boy himself tug at her ankle sharply, under the table.

'You sure?' the girl asked worriedly.

'Go ahead.'

The blonde sad down across from Elsa and the cryokinetic swore she heard Hellion scooting around under the table so as not to brush against the newcomer's feet. Elsa stifled a laugh.

'So,' she chuckled. 'How may I help you?'

The girl seemed upset by Elsa's sudden cheeriness.

'No,' she hastily reprimanded herself. 'This is a bad idea, I – I need to go.'

She started to her feet and was almost out of the booth when Elsa reached out for her.

'Hey, don't worry,' she cried. 'I don't bite. Really.'

The blonde looked around herself anxiously and eyed the door to the diner before sliding back into the booth. Hellion groaned audibly from under the table, but the girl didn't seem to notice.

'I'm- I'm looking for someone,' she muttered under her breath.

'Really?' Elsa asked. 'Who?'

'Uhm, this is probably going to sound kinda weird…,' the girl whispered.

Elsa raised her brows expectantly.

'I was kinda looking for that boy you were hanging out with.'

'Excuse me…. _what_?' Elsa spluttered, choking on her own breath.

'I knew this was a bad idea,' the young girl muttered tearfully.

'Uh- why exactly are you… you know- looking for him?' Elsa asked, despite the rapid poking on her leg.

'I just… need to talk to him a bit,' the girl replied uncomfortably.

'Did he do anything to you? Say anything bad?' Elsa interrogated her. 'Omg, are you pregnant?!'

The girl looked up, confused.

'It's alright! Everything's gonna be alright! I'm sorry sweetie- he just can't control himself-,'

'I'm not pregnant!'

'Did he break your heart?'

'No…'

'Call you a b- …. I mean… a _bad_ word?'

'…Not really...'

'You sure, hon?'

'Yes-,'

'For god's sake I'm not a monster!' Hellion cried, crawling out from under the table and struggling to his feet.

'I was wondering how much more it would take till you popped out from under there!' Elsa laughed, clutching her sides in glee.

The other girl looked absolutely horrified. 'Oh no…,' she murmured. 'You were here all this time?'

'Who are you?' Hellion asked, with a petrified look on his face. 'Listen kid, whatever I said, or did, I'm sorry- please leave me alone.'

'Hellion,' Elsa managed to say, between her uncontrollable laughter.

'Don't you start,' Hellion snapped. 'She's the one stalking me- and for once I didn't do anything to her!'

'Sure,' the cryokinetic chortled.

'Shut it or I swear to god I'll strangle you,' Hellion growled, reaching out for Elsa's neck threateningly.

'I just need your help,' the small girl sitting in Hellion's previous seat whimpered, tears brimming in her large green eyes.

She looked down quickly to shield her face, her dreadlock- like hair falling forward in the process.

Elsa stopped laughing and sat straighter in her seat. Hellion frowned at the blonde kid.

'Help?' he asked slowly. 'What kind of help?'

The girl sniffled a little.

'Why us? You don't even know me,' Hellion added, glancing at her suspiciously.

'I just… _know_ you can help me. I know it.'

'Help you how?'

'I heard you talking about Jamie-,' the girl began, slowly raising her eyes to meet theirs.

'Whoa, hold on,' Elsa interrupted. 'Jamie? Jamie Bennett?'

She shot a glance at Hellion, when the girl confirmed that it was the same boy, and he returned her gaze with a slight tilt of his left eyebrow.

That was Jack's personal mission. Or rather _he_ was Jack's personal mission. The youngest Guardian had set off on his own to locate a boy named Jamie whom he knew he could rely on to help defeat Pitch. Jamie had been the only boy Pitch hadn't succeeded in turning away from the Guardians. Jamie was The Boy Who Believed. He had helped the Guardians restore happiness to the world and to get the other children to believe in them again. He was the strongest child out there- and Jack was convinced that he could help them.

'Why do you need to find this guy? Who is he?' Hellion asked carefully, trying his best to not give anything away.

'Don't pretend- I know you're looking for him,' the girl said softly. 'I heard you talking about him to Jack.'

'Hang on- you know Jack?!' Elsa cried, drawing the attention of all those who remained in the diner.

'Nice going, Blondie,' Hellion snapped, growing conscious of himself and the fact that he was standing by the table like a weirdo. He quickly flashed the diners a warm smile and tapped Elsa's shoulder in an attempt to get her to scooch over. She barely budged an inch. Groaning under his breath, he slipped an arm around her waist and forcibly moved her to the end of her seat in their booth and settled in so that he didn't draw any more attention by standing around a table occupied by two girls.

Knowing Elsa she'd probably scream '_rape_'. That girl had a morbid sense of humor.

'Don't manhandle me,' Elsa snapped at him, slapping his shoulder lightly.

'Move your fat a-… I mean, _butt_ next time,' Hellion growled.

Elsa tsked. 'Bad language, mister.'

'"Butt" isn't a bad word!' Hellion objected, turning around in his seat to launch into his carefully structured argument about what determined if a word was technically 'bad'.

'Are you two always this easily distracted?' the dreadlock girl asked slowly from across them, her eyebrows scrunched together as she most probably tried her best to decipher what was going on before her.

'Not always,' Elsa apologized genuinely.

'She's just ADD,' Hellion added.

'Am not!'

'Will you help me find Jamie?' the girl interrupted before they could relapse into another verbal battle.

'Why should we?' Hellion asked defensively, eyeing the girl with suspicion.

'Cause he's in trouble. Big trouble.'

'What kind of trouble?' Hellion questioned.

'I'll tell you more if you agree to help me. It's serious- _please_.'

'And is there a reason we should trust you?' Elsa asked softly, trying not to scare the girl before them.

'I'm his little sister…,' the girl whispered softly, tears prickling at her eyes and rolling swiftly down her cheeks. 'I'm Sophie Bennett…'

* * *

Jack couldn't find Jamie anywhere. He'd checked their house- he still remembered where they lived- but Jamie's room was empty. Maybe they'd moved houses? He couldn't find his mother or his little sister so maybe they had moved. Humans did that… it was normal. He sauntered around town after vigorously searching throughout the entire morning. The sun shone high in the sky, scorching the streets in pleasant warmth, much welcomed after the freezing winter. T wasn't as hot as it would be in the summer to come, so Jack took his time walking around the town, with the sun shining sensually down on his face. The missions were going well- Kitty and her team had successfully picked up a trail of clues and bits of information that had led them to assume Magneto himself was around here somewhere. His own mission was a little harder than he'd expected- how difficult was it to track down a 10 year old kid? Maybe he would find him with his friends… Jamie did have a large group of buddies. He'd probably be hanging out with them. The first time they'd met, Jamie had been playing in the snow with some of his pals. That incident had ended with a freak sledding accident and Jamie's tooth falling. That hadn't been Jack's fault entirely….

He strode into the park, which looked vastly different from when he'd last seen it in winter. Sure enough it was lusciously green, filled with children, birds and pet dogs. Not to mention parents. Adults ran everywhere trying to keep their children in check. Jack whistled as he passed by them unnoticed. A few children glanced his way and stared at him in shock, but he just shot them a wink and walked on by. Jack was nearly done searching the park, with no positive results whatsoever, when he heard someone call out in a voice he recognized quite well.

'Pippa!' a twenty something looking woman called out, racing across the park, arms flailing over her head. 'Pippa… over here!'

She met her friend halfway and embraced her in a bone crushing hug. Jack winced.

The girl named Pippa laughed a she appraised her friend. The first girl was slightly on the large side, with a tall build and large frame. She had closely cropped dark brown hair and a cheery pink jersey on over a black dress. Pippa on the other hand was slim and tall, wearing a pair of men's denim overalls and wellington boots. Jack felt like laughing but he knew it was too rude.

'Cupcake! You look so different! Long time, no see- how was Texas?' Pippa asked her friend, pulling her in for another hug.

Jack froze.

_Cupcake?_

That wasn't Cupcake! Cupcake was one of Jamie's friends who'd helped them defeat Pitch. Cupcake was a fat, mean bully. Cupcake's pony dream had been what Pitch had birthed Onyx from. Cupcake wasn't a twenty something woman in a black dress!

The two women smiled and laughed and headed out of the park, arm in arm, like old friends. They stopped by the fountain and paused to exchange a few words with a man crouching beside the structure. He had a little girl in his arms and spoke to them animatedly for a few minutes before moving away. That most definitely was Monty- Pippa's neighbor- Jamie's friend Pippa's neighbor.

Who were these people? How come they were so old? Jack staggered uncomfortably and plopped onto the soft grass. A little kid stumbled towards him and grinned widely. She handed him a balloon and raced back to her mother who was standing expectantly a few feet away. Jack released the red balloon, so as not to alarm the adults- of course they'd freak if they noticed a balloon floating in mid air close to the ground and not rising.

He frowned at the grass…. Neither Cupcake nor Pippa had seen him. Were they too old to believe?

Wait... if they were all so old… was Jamie as well?

Jack gulped. Jamie couldn't be twenty already! Hadn't it been just last year when they'd defeated Pitch? Most definitely. _Maybe…_

Something Toothiana had said once niggled at the back of Jack's mind and made him terribly uncomfortable. Something about time and how it passed differently in different realms. He jolted forward in shock once he fully comprehended what this meant.

Jamie Bennett had **grown up**.

* * *

'He's _what_?' Elsa nearly screeched, choking violently on the sip of coffee she'd just taken, trying her best not to spit it out all over Hellion or the little blonde girl.

'He's been abducted,' Sophie repeated; her eyes cast downwards.

'Aaand how are you so sure of this?' Hellion queried, frowning as he glanced at the younger Bennett.

'I just am,' she replied sullenly.

Elsa ground to a halt.

They'd left the cozy diner and taken a casual stroll so that Sophie could begin relating her problems and qualms. However it had started proving to be quite a task as the little blond didn't seem quite keen on doing any explaining. She spat out random phrases with no justification what so ever and her only claim of proof so far was the fact that "she knew". How? She hadn't really got to that part yet.

Sophie Bennett was the typical teenager- the kind that got on your nerves and made you want to slap them so hard that their brains righted themselves in their partially empty skulls and finally started to work. Elsa was beginning to realize that if the little Bennett didn't start making sense soon, that was exactly what she had coming her way. A good old slap to the head- and maybe a yelling or two.

Teach her right for wasting their time.

'Listen Soph, we need you to tell us _exactly_ what's going on for us to really help you,' the white-blond deadpanned, as politely as she could.

'Yeah kid,' Hellion muttered without a hint of civility. He sounded like he wanted to strangle the fourteen year old.

Sophie sighed loudly. 'I don't really know how to explain it….'

'Well, try your best,' Elsa snapped.

She really hated being anything but helpful- but Sophie Bennett was as far from cooperative as could be.

'Lately, a lot of stuff has been happening around here,' Sophie began.

'What kind of stuff?' Hellion asked, tersely.

'I don't know,' the girl wailed. 'The kind of stuff where you just _know _something's going on but no one says anything and you can't really put your finger on it!'

'Try harder, Soph,' Elsa sighed heavily, tossing her empty cappuccino takeaway cup into a nearby trashcan.

'There were a lot of new faces in town- and most of them came over to our place, looking for Jamie. They'd have long talks with him, and they'd always be around the house. Jamie told me it wasn't a big problem- but I could tell they scared him. He pretended that it was alright and all… but it really wasn't. I know it. And then that strange old dude came last Monday…,' Sophie faltered, shuddering slightly as she did so.

'Who came, Sophie?' Elsa pushed, straining to keep herself from shaking the teen and forcing straightforward answers out of her.

'This really old looking guy with white hair and all…'

'Wow,' Hellion stated blankly. 'Soo suspicious. Did ol' Santa take him away?'

Elsa shot him a glare.

'North would never do such a thing!' Sophie protested.

Hellion froze. 'Right. Forgot you were pals with the invisible child protection group.'

'How exactly do you know them anyway?' Elsa asked curiously.

'Don't you wanna know how Jamie got kidnapped?' Sophie snapped, throwing her hands in the air.

'Well, maybe if you explained stuff better,' Elsa grunted in exasperation.

'Fiiine. Long, long time ago, Jamie made friends with Jack Frost, and together they saved the world from Pitch Black- this bad guy who gave everybody bad dreams and stuff-…'

'We know,' Els and Hellion deadpanned in unison.

'…Uh, okay then. Yeah so, that's how I know them. They snuck into Jamie's room that day and I kinda tagged along with them. I took a portal to Bunnymund's Warren,' Sophie concluded, somewhat proudly.

'That would've gone over well with the kangaroo,' Hellion snorted.

'He's a BUNNY!' Sophie corrected sharply.

The telekinetic glared at the tiny blond defiantly, ready to defend his statements whether horrendously incorrect or otherwise.

'Okay okay,' Elsa sighed, rubbing her fingertips at her temple. 'Now that we've got this out of the way, tell who you think abducted your brother.'

'A mutant,' Sophie spat.

Elsa shared a worried glance with Hellion and the telekinetic stared back in horror.

'He was old and wrinkly you say?' he asked fervently.

'Why?' Elsa snorted. 'How many old wrinkly mutants are there anyway?'

'How many indeed,' Hellion muttered darkly.

'Come on,' he said suddenly. 'We've got to find Kitty, this is bad.'

'What's bad?' Elsa asked, struggling to catch up with Hellion's train of thought.

'Magneto's got Jamie,' he replied hurriedly, breaking into a jog across the street.

Sophie trailed them uncertainly.

'Magneto?' Elsa snorted. 'He's old and wrinkly? The big bad mutant we're all up against is old and wrinkly?!'

Hellion shot her a withering glare.

'It's just,' Elsa faltered, muscles pumping as she struggled to keep up with the now sprinting telekinetic. 'I didn't expect this… he's _old_?!'

'He's from Xavier's time,' Hellion replied over his shoulder as he bolted along the streets in search of anyone from their party.

'He's_ that_ old?!'

'Get over it, Blondie!'

'I'm trying!'

'You guys, what about me?' Sophie called, panting furiously behind them.

'Not now, Sophie!' the duo snapped in unison, throwing her a glare over their shoulders before running straight on.

Sophie came to a halt in the middle of the road and huffed heavily to herself about her predicament.

'So much for helping me,' she grunted.

The whole town had been thrown into yet another mess, and the teen couldn't bring herself to believe it- Burgess was becoming a magnet to all sorts of danger. As a child she'd wished and wished for the town to become some sort of attraction; a tourist attraction meant new faces, maybe even celebrities… but Burgess was nothing close to that. Now all her wishes seemed to be backfiring on her. Thirteen years later, after the first big magic war, here was another.

Splendid.

'Any publicity is good publicity,' the blond murmured to herself as a form of consolation and hurried after the telekinetic and the cryokinetic, hoping against hope that hadn't gone too far. If she'd known that their town was going to be subjected to _this_ much of warfare... she would've exercised.

She stumbled in the direction the other two had headed and was just picking up speed when she collided with a ginormous wall that had suddenly appeared bofre her.

'Ow,' Sophie muttered, clutchign her nose as she fell backwards and onto her bum.

'Ow,' she said again, for effect.

'I'm sorry dear, didn't see you there,' the big blue furry wall apologized imperiously.

'Whaaaat the...,' Sophie trailed off, taking in the beast-like creature dressed in a leather pants with tiny framed glasses perched on his stub nose.

'I'm Hank,' it said. 'Have you seen my friends?'

'Uhh...I..- I what?'

'Probably running around causing havoc, making a mess and freaking people out,' Hank described.

'You're freaking me out,' Sophie stated blankly, looking up at him in confusion.

Hank sighed. 'How rude.'

'You bumped into me!' Sophie exclaimed, a part of her wondering why she wasn't running away in terror. 'You're rude.'

'Listen kid,' Hank began.

'You sound like that boy,' Sophie muttered.

'Which boy?' Hank asked, perking up slightly.

'That mean boy, with the snappy girl.'

Hank winced. 'Hellion and Elsa?'

Sophie nodded.

'Mind telling me where they are?'

'They ran off that way,' the blond replied, pointing in the general direction they had taken.

Hank immediately took off, without pausing to thank her and left Sophie to struggle to her feet alone.

_Yup_, she thought to herself as she watched Hank's quickly retreating figure. She definitely should have exercised.

* * *

a/n: so this chapter is kiiinda short.. sorry. i had a plot falling out- i really had nothing to do. sorry for the delay huns. had to deal with a little homework and real life- no biggie :P a few things now-

**thing 1**: IT'S MY BIRTHDAAAY! finally i'm seventeen for real. hit that review button to send me a birthday gift. it really does mean everything to me when you guys review. i feel amazing. really. thanks for all the previous reviews. you guys keep making my days brighter. **strange-felicity,** **arianas, grace kelly** and** the-silent-noise **you guys always leave such detailed reviews! love and birthday cake for ya'll 3

**XOXO**, just to reply: i'm really not sure how long this fic is gonna be... and i'm not that sure about having a sequel- it all depends where i end this fic. but there'll be an epilogue somewhere and it'll be nice :3 i hope...

**thing 2**: i promise promise promise the next chapter will have action and lots of funky stuff in it! promiiiise :P

oh! i almost forgot.. how's the new fic cover? my sister made it for mee ^.^ check it out if you wanna :P

p.s. did the diner scene seem forced? for some reason i felt as if the interaction between Hellion and Elsa was getting a little... (dare i say it?)... _**fake**. _i dunno.. you guys tell me. i think it's reached the point where they either have to love or hate each other. its judgement day folks... will the next chapter hold the answer?

HOPEFULLY.

reviews are birthday gifts!

thanks ya'll see you with the next update.


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: these aren't my characters! please don't sue me... i don't have any money- except for my birthday cash.. but you can't have that cause i'm saving up for BLOOD OF OLYMPUS. #hellyeahitsout \m/**

**read review fave and follow..**

**i'll be here in a corner.. fangirling.. (last book with Percy in it.. whyyy)**

* * *

It was almost as if they'd all jumped into a time vortex.

Everything was happening so fast it was rather undecipherable, at least to Elsa; she could barely comprehend what had occurred in the last hour or so. Hank had found them somehow, with a horde of X-Men from the Mansion, and was now charging around Jamie's living room, concocting massive plans with Kitty Pryde. Match reunited with Trance, and a very grumpy Surge, and was bringing the rest of the students up to date. Elsa could spot Karma, Bling and even Armor in the crowd. The Headmistress was standing stiffly by the window, accompanied by Wolverine, discussing what they'd found out through their espionage- the look on their faces told Elsa that they'd found nothing positive. North and the rest of the Guardians were huddled by the Bennett's fireplace, looking sullen. They hadn't taken well to the news about Jamie. However, it wasn't the news about his abduction that worried them the most- it was the fact that he had grown older. Jack seemed fully perturbed and could barely control himself. He sat hunched by the crackling fire that he'd asked Match to create, even though it was now early-spring. Apparently he felt that as long as the fire crackled angrily and burned up those logs, he wouldn't have to destroy anything.

To say that he was furious was an understatement.

The Guardians' plan had fallen out _terribly_. There was no more Jamie, the Boy Who Believed, to help them defeat Pitch once again. They sat miserably, un-moving, while North attempted to assist Hank in the planning. Elsa watched them from afar- in a trance-like state, wondering when everything had started spinning so wildly out of control.

She felt rather lost… like as if she'd been thrown out to sea and left alone to drown. It wasn't a terrifying feeling though; it was simply unnerving and left her very uneasy. She could feel something expanding within her chest, constricting her breathing. Panic, was it? She'd have to deal with it soon, but she couldn't bring herself to do it. Surge and Trance had tried to coax her into talking about it- whatever "_it_" was. She had an inkling of a thought about what they were trying to get her to do. There were a handful of events she hadn't fully processed and a closetful of emotions she hadn't really dealt with. It was pounding against her lungs now, beating furiously to the tune of her rapidly accelerating heartbeat.

And for some godforsaken reason, everything seemed _poetic_ at that moment.

Her chest felt like it was about to rip apart as the world blurred into a flurry of nothingness around her and all she seemed to be capable of doing was looking for that one face in the crowd. She didn't want to admit it; she_ really_ didn't, but that face was the only thing that could help her at that moment. She felt precariously close to falling off the cliff she'd so carefully navigated away from all this time, and that face was all that could snatch her away from it. Just one look, she prayed.

It unnerved her even more so to realize how much she needed to see him. She hated it, how much she depended on his strength- especially when _she _was the one who was supposed to be strengthening _him_. but how was she to do so when she was utterly broken inside.

She saw him then, before she could delve deeper into her shattered subconscious mind, and she bolted towards where he stood. He was making his way out the front door so she followed him, weaving through the grumbling crowd of mutants in the living room and squeezing past overgrown Guardians, until she found him outside.

He was already seated on the edge of the porch, his tall, lean body folded over as he bent over, hands resting on knees; head outstretched to catch the crisp dusk breeze. It tossed his hair around wildly, before whistling past into the trees surrounding the front garden. The twilight twinkled around them, soft tones of pink and orange blended smoothly with the purplish hues of the evening, and the first stars blinked into existence one by one. The breeze was still cold, despite it being spring, and Elsa had to zip up her hoodie to keep out the shivers. He turned a fraction at the sound of the zipper and cocked his head in her direction, his eyes still focused on the evening sky.

'Hellion,' she muttered quietly, as if trying not to scare away the silence. 'You wouldn't mind if I just... uh…sit...there…'

She could almost hear his smirk from where she stood, by the screen door. 'Really, Blondie?' he asked smugly.

'I'll take that as a yes,' she mumbled hotly, as she scurried forward to sit beside him on the porch steps.

For some reason or the other, her body seemed keen on plopping itself as close to the telekinetic as humanly possible, but she managed to sit herself at a respectable distance.

She spent a few terse minute staring up at the sky, letting the emotions and feelings bubble and froth within her. It had almost reached a breaking point and she was near bursting, when Hellion shifted slightly in his pace and turned to cast his chocolate gaze on her.

And no matter how hard she tried not to- she melted.

'Hey, Els?' Hellion asked softly, his voice low and husky as he struggled to speak softly. 'What do you think is gonna happen now?'

_He'd called her ELS… _

'I'm not really sure,' she whispered back, hurriedly looking up into the sky to escape his dark eyes.

'Do you think there'll be a full out war?' he continued speculating.

'Beats me,' she replied.

'I'm just asking,' he pressed on. 'Do you think we'll have to battle Magneto? Will we have to kill him?'

Elsa sighed. 'I don't know, Hellion.'

'I wouldn't mind, really. After everything… I think I'd be able to off him. But that means we'll have to fight his cronies too… and that means Pixie- how'd you think that will go down?'

The cryokinetic took in a sharp breath.

'Do you think Pixie really is on their side? There's talk that she's a double crossing them- that she's actually with us. Does that make sense? Could it be true?'

'Don't ask me, Hellion,' Elsa snapped tiredly.

She didn't want to discuss Megan... she did _not_ want to discuss Megan…

'I still can't believe she woke Danger up. Does that really mean she's gone? Gone evil, I mean?'

'WHAT PART OF 'I DON'T KNOW' DIDN'T YOU GET?!' Elsa cried desperately, slapping the palms of her hands to her ears in a vain attempt to block the telekinetic's words out.

He didn't relent; pressing on with the probing questions until she felt every last shred of self control strip away, leaving the raw emotion exposed to the dusky evening.

_Conceal, don't feel,_ a small part of her mind sang in ominous refrain, mocking her lack of resolve from afar.

'I hate what Pixie did- she took away X-23's life so... so easily. She truly is evil,' Hellion ranted, his eyes tracing and noting her emotional reactions.

'Unless... unless this was all a big plan to dupe Magneto... Pixie could turn out to be an ally behind enemy lines. Or is it? We'll never know. But what about Jamie? What are we going to do?'

His words weakened her resolve. Elsa couldn't help it- the tears forced her magic out.

Frost burst from her fingertips, lashing wildly at the wooden steps before the porch. The wind howled and shrieked around them, now considerably colder than before.

Hellion glanced up at Elsa's raging face, coolly taking in her frustration.

'I don't KNOW, Hellion- I DO NOT KNOW. I wish I knew what was going on; I wish I knew what had to be done. But I DON'T! Okay? I'm a little lost and VERY frightened and I know I said I would be strong for you but I can't... I can't,' she paused to take in a shuddering breath; the angry sparks never leaving her crystalline eyes. 'And you know why?! Cause I'm BROKEN. That's right. I lied to you. I can't help you because I need help myself. I've shattered into a million tiny pieces that can't be saved. I'm too far gone from anyone's help and that SCARES ME. I'm afraid of myself... I can't LIVE with myself knowing that I'm just one push, JUST ONE SHOVE, from tipping over. And this isn't helping and neither are YOU. You're the WORST- I don't understand you. You confuse me and annoy me and you make me want to hate you. I hate you, I hate you, I HATE you! I HATE EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU. I hate the X-Men and I hate my new life. I just wish I'd never got into that stupid car. I wish- I wish Anna had just sent me away.'

She gasped then- a sharp sound that mirrored the sound of her heart wrenching in pain- and she couldn't bear it. It was all too much. As the heady emotional feeling swamped her senses and dulled her mind, Elsa knew there was only one thing left to do. The one thing she could always do whenever she needed to save herself from her own misery.

She had to escape.

Without sparing Hellion a glance, she turned on her heel and fled the Bennett's front porch. She skirted the short white fence that guarded the perimeter of their lawn and sprinted down the lonely streets, frost billowing out behind her leaving an icy trail. Whitish blue wisps of ice scarred the springtime atmosphere of Burgess as she passed by, tainting the roads, the buildings, the trees... anything that crossed her path.

She panted heavily as she made a wild dash in random directions, her heart thumping crazily in her chest. Tears streamed out of her eyes on their own accord as memories of all her losses flitted by in her mind's eye. First, her childhood- years spent locked away in a room to save herself and her sibling from the evil that was her magic. Then the tragic death of her parents- the accident that hit the young Arendelles like a blow to the head. After that came the loss of her sanity, her dignity, her willpower, inner-strength and resolve. Following which was the loss of her loved ones, her sister... what little she had left of family. Then the loss of a friend- no matter what had happened, Megan was still her first real friend. Her mind refused to accept anything otherwise. The friendly mutant's transformation and switched alliances made Elsa's chest ache with the loss and shock. Pain seared through her heart, numbing her senses as she fled past the town border and charged into the forest, freezing everything she passed. Trees shriveled up as they turned to ice. Snow covered their boughs as if it were winter. Harsh cold winds bit at whatever skin she had left exposed and howled mercilessly around her. The trees shook violently and the night sky grew turbulent with unease. Nature responded to her misery and began turning cold to suit the emptiness inside her. She bolted past the shrubbery; not once stopping to gather her surroundings, nor to look back. She didn't hesitate when she heard the familiar rushing sound of water from up ahead. Through tear-blurred vision she barely made out the lake in front of her.

Her heart hammered relentlessly within her, yelling at her to keep running- to do whatever it took to escape.

She hit the lake with defiance- and everything froze. It was as if a blanket of depression had been peeled off her frame and all of her misery seemed to fall away at her feet. Magic poured out of her every pore, freezing the forest almost completely. Snowflakes danced in the frosty breeze and the lake was as smooth as an ice rink, glistening in the moonlight.

Elsa came to a halt halfway across the frozen lake and pulled in gasping breaths, eager to inhale the frigid air. It was like a shock to her numbed senses and it had a trigger effect, opening the floodgate to the rest of her emotions. She crumbled to her knees and sank into a fetal position, sobbing tearlessly and angrily into fisted hands. She choked her cries out furiously; angry at herself, angry at her magic, angry at the world, and angry at the man-in-the-moon. Her eyes were screwed shut so tight in agony that not a tear leaked through to wet her reddened cheeks. Her hair whipped around her face wildly in the frigid breeze and the cacophonous sounds of the now wintry forest drowned out the noise of approaching footsteps.

Strong arms entwined around her form and dragged Elsa to her feet against her will. She struggled in vain, but the hands clamped on her shoulders merely spun her around to face their owner.

'Hellion,' she cried brokenly. 'Please just... just go away.'

She lashed out at him wildly when he refused to budge an inch; kicking and punching and biting and clawing till she could no more.

'Should've known you'd put up a fight,' he mumbled to himself as he pulled her tired form close.

She fell into him, literally, and molded to his warmth. Her head rested on his marble chest and her arms curled around his abdomen and after the emotional exhaustion she'd been through... this was the closest Elsa felt to being home.

Horrifically, they fit perfectly. His strong arms twined around her body protectively, not wavering the slightest, despite the raging wintry cold. She could hear his even heartbeat through his chest and it soothed her haywire emotions. She inhaled the scent that was purely Hellion and nothing else, and sunk closer to his warm frame, tears flowing freely from her paling blue eyes.

He didn't say a word- just held her, and for that she was grateful. She didn't want for him to lie and tell her everything was going to be alright. She also didn't want him to promise her anything stupid. She didn't want anything to be said or done... she just wanted him.

She needed him.

And so he stood there in the freezing cold, till the wind settled and the snowflakes rested upon his head and shoulders. He held her close, never breaking the contact, and murmured sweet nothings to the silent night.

Once her tears had run out, Elsa dared herself to glance up at him. He caught her eye then, and peered back at her through the snowflakes tangled in his lashes.

In that moment, he looked like perfection. He looked like her guardian angel and was doing exactly what she'd expect her guardian angel to do. Everything she'd wanted her guardian angel to do years earlier. She wanted to be protected- at least to feel protected and safe and warm. To feel the loneliness erased and the cold replaced by love.

It shone in his eyes, brighter than the moon itself, and even though every nerve in her body was screaming at her to hide, Elsa couldn't drag her eyes away. His chocolate gaze entrapped her and held her in place, sufficiently melting her to a puddle of goo. The depth in those pools of darkness conveyed everything he hadn't said and everything he wanted to. She gulped at the sincerity she found there...amongst the tenderness and warmth.  
Her heart decided to leap a mile within her chest when his lips twitched into a lazy grin.  
She loosened her grip on him a little and stepped an inch away. The frost in the air relaxed and the snowflakes began to melt off Hellion's lashes and hair.  
She glanced up at his face once more, reflexively, to watch the snow fall from his features, and looked up just in time to catch a flicker of amusement pass through the telekinetic's eyes.

She didn't like it. It made her insides twist in anticipation. Of what?

She needed to hide again. She could feel the panic build up inside her once more and somehow she knew Hellion could sense it too. His eyes widened just a fraction of an inch and he jerked almost involuntarily, dragging her closer to himself. She yelped at the sudden movement, ready to slap him away and break for it, when all she could see was his face. It blocked out everything for a second- and in that second she was free... free from the miseries and the pains of life.

And then he tilted forward.

She almost missed it, when his lips grazed hers, painfully slowly and softly, like a whisper in the dark. They disappeared as quickly as they'd appeared; so fast Elsa barely had time to let her eyes flutter closed. And then they returned, more purposefully this time, pressing to her own with fervor. She found herself winding closer to him, her arms locking around his neck while his own slipped round her waist to keep her against him. His lips moved amazingly against hers; testing, touching, tasting. She could feel his hair tickling her forehead and the snowflakes on his face melted between them, stinging their heated faces with sharp picks of cold. Hellion leant closer, and Elsa felt as if she may die. Her heart ceased to beat and her mind flew away from her body, leaving for the skies. Her breath came in shortened gasps and her entire world seemed to be tipping on its side. The cold disappeared and warmth filled her insides. The world spun on its axis and the floor gave way beneath her feet and before she knew it they were submerged in the waters of the lake- the ice having thawed out during the course of their passionate exchange.

They spluttered to the surface, splashing in confusion as their situation dawned on them.

Hellion laughed aloud- something within him having changed- sounding more carefree than he ever had.

Elsa on the other hand seemed to sink further into the lake in mortification. Her cheeks burned red and she hid her face as much as she could.

'Come on, Blondie,' Hellion chuckled affectionately, tugging Elsa's arm until she relented and allowed him to tow her ashore.

'Nice to see that hasn't changed,' she muttered grumpily, still rather ashamed of herself.

'Don't get your hopes up,' Hellion snorted back, pausing suddenly to see if she was alright.

He gently tipped her chin up so that she faced him, albeit somewhat reluctantly, and cast what he hoped was a warm smile. She relaxed under his gaze and he allowed his smile to grow smug.

'So,' he drawled lazily, twirling on his heel and heading for the forest. 'Who knew you had the hots for me, eh?'

He heard Elsa's indignant snort behind him and broke into a run, grinning like a mad fool and laughing like a crazy person.

'Where do you think you're going mister?!' Elsa cried as she chased after him, humor laced through her stern accusations. 'You kissed me first!'

* * *

They stumbled into the Bennett's driveway fifteen minutes later, running straight into Kitty Pryde and Jack Frost. Kitty looked stern and accusatory, while Jack peered at them in suspicion. They were pacing the ground where Elsa had left her frozen mark and were staring along her trail of ice in worry.

'There you two are,' Kitty snapped upon seeing them. 'Mind explaining _this_?'

Elsa gulped and attempted to apologize for the error she'd made- leaving proof of her icy magic out for the world to see.

'Spare me your excuses and just clean it up,' Kitty ordered, rubbing a tired hand across her face.

Elsa complied silently, concentrating hard on removing all traces of the frost she'd left behind.

'Mind telling us what you two were out doing during a very important war meeting?' the Headmistress questioned wearily.

Elsa ignored the sense of déjà vu rising within her and coughed distinctly to signal for Hellion to fill in the growing silence.

'Elsa threw a hissy fit and ran away so I went to get her,' the telekinetic supplied with a straight face; unflinching even when the cryokinetic slapped him hard on the arm in mortification.

'Did _not_-,' she began hastily.

'Very funny, Keller,' Kitty grumbled, while Jack glared insistently at Elsa, as if trying his best to telepathically confirm the fact Hellion had just shared.

The white blond ignored his penetrating gaze and focused instead on the grass at her feet.

'How is it that when things get important you two are always missing?' Kitty moaned, beckoning for them to follow her into the Bennett house.

'How is it indeed,' Hellion murmured in a low voice that all but rumbled from within his chest, causing Elsa to jump a mile out of her skin.

'Don't do that,' she muttered uneasily, walking past him to the doorway.

She brushed past Jack without meeting his eyes and moved directly into the living room.

'You know you love it!' she heard Hellion call from behind her and for some unexplainable reason, she froze.

This was wrong, it was all wrong. This...thing... that they had was all a mistake waiting to happen and she could feel it. It was going to hurt them both and the best thing to do now was to stop it before either of them got too heavily involved. Right?

She paused for a second and reflected.

Who was she kidding? She would give her right arm to be in a relationship with him... but this was still wrong. His girlfriend had just died... and... Elsa felt herself running rapidly out of excuses. But still, a small determined voice within her screamed for her to run far away from whatever was happening between her and Hellion. It seemed to be doomed to be disastrous from the start. Love birthed during war was like a rose blooming in darkness- doomed to crumple and die.

Elsa shuddered at her own morbid analogy, but she knew deep within herself, that when trials and tribulations came their way, she would be the first to cave in. She would be the first to run. And he didn't need that. She had promised him that she'd be his rock... but anything more than that triggered her flight reflexes. "Stay and fight" was a command her brain didn't exercise often.

She couldn't do this... who was she kidding? As much as she'd want a relationship with him, she'd rather keep her right arm.

'Els, you with us?' Surge called from across the room, making a beeline towards the cryokinetic.

Elsa could feel a friendly intervention coming up- no doubt Surge and Trance had spotted the stress on her face.

She sighed.

She really didn't need this now.

The two young mutants came to a halt beside her and smiled wearily.

Surge clasped her hand inconspicuously and didn't say a word. She stared straight back at Kitty and listened to her speech, all the while squeezing Elsa's fingers in an attempt to silently console her.

Trance, however, couldn't keep herself from whispering; 'I'm not saying anything now- but that doesn't mean I don't know what's going on in that pretty little head.'

Elsa shot her an amused glare.

The petite brunette grinned back and flashed a raunchy wink, insinuation rolling off her in waves.

'No. Way,' the cryokinetic laughed in response, before turning her attention to the meeting at hand.

She tried her best to concentrate on Kitty's words.

'We must be prepared for an attack at any time,' the Headmistress was saying. 'We've been compromised too many times in the past... it can't happen again. Especially not now. It's a crucial moment in the battle- the calm before the storm kinda thing.'

'Wonder where Storm got off to,' Wolverine mused aloud.

Kitty ignored him purposefully.

'The fact of the matter is: we cannot let our guard down. Not even for a bit. We've already lost too many allies. That in mind- let's see what we've got. Wolverine and I have located the site where Pitch was revived. Not a few' miles ahead we found signs that Magneto's mutants have been around. They're still here, to the best of our knowledge. Hank has already set up equipment to defend this house. It will be our fort. For now. Once the shields are up we can safely discuss war plans.'

Hank shifted in his place beside the Headmistress.

'Shouldn't we do that now?' he murmured. 'We can't waste time.'

'There's plenty of time, Hank. Let everyone settle down first.'

A sea of confused faces stared back at her with unease. The Headmistress sighed wearily.

'Fine,' she muttered. 'Go ahead.'

Hank coughed to gain her attention again. 'Would you care to do the honors?'

He gestured for her to take her place in the center of the room and address the mutants they'd assembled.

'No thanks, Hank. I'll crash for tonight,' Kitty answered tiredly.

Wolverine eyed her suspiciously.

'What's going on, Pryde?' he asked slowly.

The entire room stiffened with the accusation.

Kitty, however, seemed unaffected. 'Oh nothing, Logan,' she smirked, drawling out the Headmaster's first name. 'Our pathetic excuse of a "base" is being surrounded that's all.'

Elsa froze- along with everyone in the room within earshot of her words. Confusion settled, causing ripples of unease to clog the room, rendering everyone inefficient.

'What?'

'Huh-?'

'What did she say?'

'Uh…'

'Whaa…'

'I didn't catch that.'

'Hahahaa...what a funny joke!'

'_Holy shit_!'

'Is she for real?'

'What the _hell_?!'

'… That _was_ a joke… right?'

'That's right, X-men,' Kitty Pryde said, twirling around as she did so, her brown tresses falling from her head to be replace by slick, cropped maroon hair. 'Christmas came early.'

Her golden eyes glinted triumphantly at everyone in the living room who stood transfixed by her transformation. Raven gave her blue body a little wiggle before chuckling loudly. 'Get your eyes off the assets, men. This is a surprise attack- _surprise-_ now act like it!'

And then an explosion rocked the ground and the entire structure of the Bennett house shivered dangerously and set all hell free. Light flashed as powers were unleashed- fire, water, electricity, acid and energy lashed around as forces clashed. Dark, shrouded figures wound their way around the living room, effectively trapping in the X-Men, and cutting off possible escape routes while Raven cackled loudly, protecting herself behind a barrier of mutants from the Brotherhood.

The X-men huddled at the center of the room, defending themselves the best they could- clearly outmaneuvered and several steps behind. Panic and fear set in, paralyzing the senses and delaying reactions.

Cries rang out in the chilly night air, signaling the shift of circumstances.

The calm was over…

The storm had begun.

* * *

a/n: aaaaand this confirms the fact that i no longer know what i'm doing.

*throws random plot twists in like a bawsz*

soo.. lots of things:

**#1- THE KISS. **what even... is it weird? i dunno.. oh my gosh.. why did i do that? i dont know.. it just- happened. i'm scared... dont hate me. i just asdfghjkl x.x

**#2-** you guys noticed the lake thing? ;) stole that bit from the movie... when she runs away on the iced lake and Anna stops at the edge. everytime i watch the movie i silently hope Anna runs after her on the ice- could've saved a lot of heartbreak, attempted murder, attempted kingdom-theft and far less terrible songs :/ in my version.. hellion goes after her- and that made me happy. cause Elsa deserves that.

**#3-** but something's wrong you guys.. i just don't feel the chemistry. i just.. don't. that's my own doubt in there with Elsa's. wartime love just feels so wrong. so many dead people.. so much of pain and sadness it feels wrong to be happy and lovey-dovey. maybe once it's over.. maybe over time they'll fit even more perfectly.

i hope i haven't sunk the ship :/

**#4-** and Raven huh? like what even. she just popped out of nowhere even i didn't see it coming. but what better than a surprise attack to start the much awaited battle? except now i have to cry cause i can't write fight scenes to save my soul.. #fml .

**#5- **thanks for all the wishes :3 i love you guys so much. i felt so happy :) also.. **Grace-kelly**.. i nearly had a heart attack when you suggested Matt give me a visit.. i thought he was coming here i got so excitedd... but then you were joking... so yeah :P i loved every single review so much! thank you :3

**formal apology**- to all those who feel that this chapter is a bit messed up, too fast paced, random and just downright useless... i apologise. this may be the last update for a long time (a week or so) so pleaase bear with me. i am truly sorry. real life doesn't do negotiations. i will be back asap with a better nicer chapter and one day... i'll rewrite this one.


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